BEE TRUMPETER. 



produced, seemingly,, by the vibration of the wings of a single 

 bee. This has been interpreted into an harangue uttered by the 

 young queen, and intended to inspire a portion of the com- 

 munity with courage to go forth, and colonise a new empire. 

 On the conclusion of this inspiriting address, her tone changing 

 to one of supplication, aided even by groans and lamentation, 

 she has been supposed, turning from the people, to address the 

 queen mother of the hive, and, as candidate for a new throne, 

 entreat her permission to lead the division about to emigrate. 

 To this effect, at least, is the purport of the royal speech, as trans- 

 lated, certes somewhat freely, by the ear and pen of Butler, 

 \vho wrote of music as well as of the "Female Monarchic;""* 

 of the latter with such marvellous minuteness as to draw, from 

 one of his admiring readers, the poetical apostrophe before 

 quoted, t to the en'ect that he must have been admitted into the 

 counsels of the hive. 



\\ e are not called upon certainly to give implicit credence 

 to all that tin's initiate in bee language has imparted of its 

 meaning, nor shah 1 we positively assert, with Godart, till we have 

 ourselves ascertained the fact, that there is in every nest of 

 humble bees a trumpeter, who at early morn, ascending to its 

 summit, sounds a reveille with its vibratory wings of a quarter 

 of an hour's duration. But although on these points we may 

 at least suspend our judgment, we have plenty of common 

 evidence, plain even to our common perceptions, that insects 



" Female Monarchic of Bees, 1634. f At page 20 ( J. 



