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APIA 205 APIUM Venus, hitherto one of the least impor- tant Roman divinities (see Venus). The finest statues of the goddess that still APHRODITE exist are those of Melos (Milo) at Paris, of Capua at Naples, and of the Medici at Florence. APIA (a'pe-a), the principal town ana commercial emporium of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean; on the N. coast of the island of Upolu, about midway between the E. and W. extremities of the island. In March, 1899, a hurricane swept the harbor; wrecked the United States war vessels "Trenton" (flagship) and "Vandalia," and the German men-of-war, "Eber" "Adler," and "Olga"; and drove the United States steamer "Nipsic" ashore, greatly injured. The British ship "Cal- liope" was the only man-of-war in the harbor that succeeded in escaping to sea. In 1889 the town was the scene of fatal riots growing out of the struggle of Mataafa and Malietoa Tanus for the kingship. In 1900 the town came into German control, but as a result of the World War is now occupied by New Zea- land. Pop., 1,500. See Samoan Islands. APIABY, a place for keeping bees. The apiary should be well sheltered from strong winds, moisture, and the extremes of heat and cold. The hives should face the S. or S. E., and should be placed on shelves two feet above the ground, and about the same distance from each other. The old dome-shaped straw skep is still in general use among the cottagers of Great Britain. Its cheapness and sim- plicity of construction are in its favor, while it is excellent for warmth. It has the disadvantage that its interior is closed to inspection, and the honey can only be got out by stupefying the bees with smoke or chloroform, or by fumigating with sulphur, which entails the destruc- tion of the swarm. Wooden hives of square, boxlike form are now gaining general favor among bee keepers. They usually consist of a large breeding cham- ber below and two sliding removable boxes called supers above for the ab- straction of honey without disturbing the contents of the main chamber. When their stores of honey are removed the bees must be fed during the winter and part of spring with syrup or with a solution consisting of two pounds loaf sugar to a pint of water. See Bee. APIOS, a Noi-th American plant of the pea order (Leguminosse) , with tuberous, starchy, edible rhizomes. Attempts at cultivation have not been to any practi- cal extent successful. APIS (a'pis), in entomology, the typi- cal genus of the family afndsB and the hymenopterous tribe snthophila. The A. mellifica, from Latin melificus, a.= honey-making (meZ=honey, and facio= to make), is the hive bee. In astronomy, a small constellation in the Southern Hemisphere, first named by Halley. It is called also Musca, literally =the fly, but in this case rendered "the bee." APIS, a bull to which divine honors were paid by the ancient Egyptians, who regarded him as a symbol of Osiris. At Memphis he had a splendid residence, containing extensive walks and courts for his entertainment, and he was waited upon by a large train of priests, who looked upon his every movement as oracu- lar. He was not suffered to live beyond 25 years, being secretly killed by the priests and thrown into a sacred well. Another bull, characterized by certain marks, as a black color, a triangle of white on the forehead, a white cresent-shaped spot on the right side, etc., was selected in his place. His birthday was annually cele- brated, and his death was a season of public mourning. Belzoni found a colos- sal sarcophagus of alabaster, which is now in the British Museum, and in the same apartment the body of a bull, em- balmed in asphaltum. APIUM, a genus of umbelliferous plants, including celery.