THE YOUTH'’S CABINET.

‘121

 

Habits of Bees.

© Tis a great time among a
community of bees, when
the swarming season ar-
rives. It often happens,
before these curious in-

sects separate from the old

hive, to seek their fortunes for
themselves, that there has been
an unusual silence in the hive,

Naturalists suppose that this

silence is caused through their feeding,

and making a hearty meal, and resting
themselves before they set out on their
journey. And as a proof of this, the
crops of those which swarmed have been
found filled with honey, while such as

 
  
  

remained behind were comparatively

empty. Also, previous to swarming, a
number of male bees may be discovered
on the outside of the hive, as if waiting
until the sun shone out that they might
take their departure. When the queen-
bee first breaks out from her cell, she en-
deavors to get at the cells in which the
rest of the queen-bees are enclosed, that
she may destroy them ; for, by some un-
accountable instinct, she cannot bear to
have arival queen near her. She is pre-
vented, however, from destroying them,
by the male bees, who are on the watch,
and who, whenever she approaches the
cells in which her rival queens are en-
closed, pull, and drag, and bite at her,
until they drive her away: and a pretty
rage she gets into, I can tell you; for
she runs about from one bee to another,
as if she said, “Am I to be mistress
here, or am I not? because, if I am not,
I’m off; and that’s the long and the
short of it. I’m not a-going to be an-

noyed by those lazy huzzies who are in

bed, I can tell you, and who, when they
get up, will be turning my house topsy-
turvy. A pretty hive indeed we should
have of it, with three or four mistresses,
all ordering about! But really, I’ve
worked myself into such a passion, and
am so hot, that I must go out and have
a mouthful or two of fresh air.”

And out she goes, accompanied by a
whole regiment of bees; and this is the
first swarm. A few days after her de-
parture, up stairs march two or three
more heavy bees; and, knocking at the
chamber-door of another of the queens,
who still remains behind, they exclaim,
“Come, madam, get up; there’s too
many of us here—you must be packing.
We’ve so many lodgers in the house,
that we’re forced to sleep two or three
in a bed; and that’ll never do, you know,
this hot weather ; for the close breathing
of so many of us causes the wax to melt
and run down the bed-curtains: so get
up and get your breakfast, and be off
with you; for there’s a whole lot of idle
fellows, who have done nothing but eat
and sleep for this last day or two, and
the sooner we are rid of them and you,
the better.” And up she does get ; and
you may fancy in what sort of a tem-
per, after so much abuse as this; and
after trying, but in vain, to get at the
rest. of her sisters, who are still in bed,
to kill them, she is also driven out, as
the queen was before her; and this com-
pletes the second swarm. Sometimes,
during the summer, three or four swarms
will, in this way, leave the hive, each
party headed by their queen-bee, until
the numbers are so much thinned with-
in, that they are no longer enabled to
prevent the remaining queen-bees from
quitting their cells; and then it is that