86 



IK GUIDE T( ) XATl'RK 



would do we'll hi allow at least one 

 natural swarm so as to have a chance 

 to hear for himself the piping and 

 quahking. Go to the hive in the even- 

 ing, after the bees have stopped fly- 

 ing, about eight days after the prime 

 swarm has issued, perhaps an even- 

 ing or two before this, perhaps one 

 or more after, put your ear to the 

 hive and listen. At first you may 

 hear nothing but a confusion of noises 

 of different kinds made by the work- 

 ers, but in a very short time the pip- 

 ing will he easily distinguished from 

 all other sounds, louder and clearer, 

 so that yon may even hear it some- 

 times a few feet away from the hive. 

 Immediately after the piping you will 

 hear a queen quahking — more likely 

 several queens will respond by quahk- 

 ing. Do you recognize no difference 

 except that the responding tones are 

 muffled? Listen again, and note the 

 length of the tones. The queen that 

 pipes makes first a long note, much 

 longer than any note of quahking, im- 

 mediately a note of the same kind a 

 little shorter, and each succeeding note 

 shorter until the close. In contrast 

 with this the sounds of quahking, while 

 coarser seem more hurried, and of 

 pretty much the same length throughout. 

 No, after listening once for yourself 

 you will never make the mistake of 

 thinking that quahking is the same as 

 piping only more muffled. 



A queen never quahks after she 

 emerges from her cell. She may — - 

 perhaps always does — begin piping as 

 soon as she leaves her cell, and prob- 

 ably keeps at it by spells until satis- 

 fied no rival is in her hive ; she may 

 pipe, from fright or for some other 

 cause, after she becomes a laying 

 «~ueen, she may pipe when in a cage 

 out of the hive, but she never pipes 

 before emerging from her cell. 



Probably no one ever saw a queen 

 quahking; a queen may easily be seen 

 piping. Open the hive in which a queen 

 is piping, and try to locate her. Then 

 listen for the next piping, and it may 

 be in a different part of the hive, for a 

 piping queen is a rapid traveler. Lift 

 out the frame on which she is run- 

 ning, and directly she will stop, hug- 

 ging down close to the comb, and her 



whole body will quiver as she makes 

 the piping noise. — American Bee Jour- 

 nal. 



ORIGINAL POEMS 



Eventide. 

 By Caroline Smith, New York City. 



Have you heard the whippoorwill's liquid note 

 V.S he calls through the fading light? 



Or the sweet low chirr) of the birds in the trees 

 As they bid the world good-night? 



Have you heard the brook as it flows through 

 the woods, 



Breathing peace as it moves along? 

 It's rippling music is wondrous sweet, 



Though hushed for it's evensong. 



Have you seen the flowers hang their little 

 heads 

 As the night dews on them fall? 

 Do you know the sweet odors the earth 

 breathes out 

 Like a blessing over all? 



Is your heart weary and heavy with woe? 



Creep away close to Nature's heart, 

 And bare your soul to the peace of heaven 



Which the evening shades impart. 



The Meadow Lark. 



By Freeman Foster Burr, East Haven, 

 Connecticut. 

 There's a saucy young fellow down there in 

 the weeds, 

 All drest up so fine in a suit of brown 

 tweeds, 

 With a pair of white tails and a waistcoat of 

 yellow ; 

 Oh! I tell you again, he's an impudent 

 fellow. 



When the sky is all blue, and the wind's in the 

 west, 

 And the morning sun brightens the gold on 

 his breast, 

 "Good morning," says he, with a shrill-whis- 

 tled note, 

 Then flirts in my face the white tails of his 

 coat. 



The bluebird's soft warble comes down from 

 the sky, 

 And the song-sparrow's trilling where 

 shaded pools lie ; 

 The robin's rememb'ring his home-coming 

 song. 

 And redwing is helping the chorus along: 



While out on my fence post he's having his say 

 With his clear-whistling neighbor from over 

 the way, 

 And I think, as he turns his bright breast to 

 the sun. 

 With his soul-cheering whistle the day's well 

 begun. 



