15S TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



tliL'ir home ; shook oft" the dust from their wings, and 

 «hirtcd toward the group of curious observers There 

 were screams and a quick dispersion. The Mistress 

 and Jenny ran away witliout ceremony. Al)by took a 

 step or two Ijackward, and tlien stood her ground, tak- 

 ing the precaution, however, to clasp her skirts tightly, 

 while her head rapidly oscillated in the vain endeavor 

 to follow the insects' flight. The Doctor retreated with 

 some show of dignity, as became his cloth, but hugged 

 his cheeks tightlj^ with his soft hat. Uuluckily for him, 

 black seems to aftect a humble-bee as red does a bull ; 

 and several of the irate workers, attracted by the 

 clerical sable, charged straight upon the dominie. This 

 was too much, even for his dignity; so, standing no 

 further ceremony, he turned and fled, holding his hat 

 down with one hand, and with the other wildly beat- 

 ing a handkerchief about his face. The scene wvas 

 laughable enough, but the boys ran to the rescue. The 

 bees abandoned the Doctor and fell upon them, but 

 were soon beaten down by the paddles with which they 

 were armed. 



The danger was over, and the party returned with 

 much merriment to the cave. The nest was taken out, 

 laid upon a cloth, and the swathing of curled hay 

 removed. This exposed a spherical cluster of oval- 

 shaped cells about four inches in diameter. The cells 

 were of various sizes ; the largest not more than three- 

 fourths of an inch long and one-half inch thick. They 

 were made of thin 3-ellow wax covered with brown 

 blotches, and were so tightly fastened to one another 



