PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 431 



relates an anecdote of a gentleman, who, desirous of securing a swarm of 

 bees that had settled in a hollow tree, rashly undertook to dislodge them. 

 He succeeded ; but though he had used the precaution of securing his 

 head and hands, he was so stung by the furious animals that a violent 

 fever was the consequence, and his recovery was for some time doubtful. 

 The strength of his constitution at length prevailed ; and the hole of the 

 tree being stopped, the survivors of the battle settled upon a branch, were 

 hived, and became the dear-bought property of their conqueror.^ 



In Mungo Park's last mission to Africa, he was much annoyed by the 

 attack of bees, probably of the same tribe with our hive-bee. His people, 

 in search of honey, disturbed a large colony of them. The bees sallied 

 forth by myriads, and attacking men and beasts indiscriminately put them 

 all to the rout. One horse and six asses were either killed or missing in 

 consequence of their attack ; and for half an hour the bees seemed to 

 have completely put an end to their journey. Isaaco upon another 

 occasion lost one of his asses, and one of his men was almost killed by 

 them. 2 



Bees, however, if they are not molested, are not usually ill-tempered : 

 if you make a captive of their queen, they will cluster upon your head, 

 or any other part of your body, and never attempt to sting you. I 

 remember, when a boy, seeing the celebrated Wildman exhibit many feats 

 of this kind, to the great astonishment and apprehension of the uninformed 

 spectators. The writer lately quoted (Thorley) was assisted once by his 

 maid-servant to hive a swarm. Being rather afraid, she put a linen cloth 

 as a defence over her head and shoulders. When the bees were shaken 

 from the tree on which they had alighted, the queen probably settled 

 upon this cloth; for the whole swarm covered it, and then, getting under 

 it, spread themselves over her face, necjlc, and bosom, so that when the 

 cloth was removed she was quite a spectacle. She was with great diffi- 

 culty kept from running off with all the bees upon her ; but at length her 

 master quieted her fears, and began to search for the queen. He suc- 

 ceeded, and hoped when he put her into the hive that the bees would 

 follow ; but they only seemed to cluster more closely. Upon a second 

 search he found another queen (unless the same had escaped and returned), 

 whom seizing, he placed in the hive. The bees soon missed her, and 

 crowded after her into it : so that in the space of two or three minutes 

 not one was left upon the poor terrified girl. After this escape, she 

 became quite a heroine, and would undertake the most hazardous employ- 

 ments about the hives.^ 



Many means have been had recourse to for the dispersion of mobs and 

 the allaying of popular tumults. In St. Petersburgh (so travelers say) a 

 fire-engine playing upon them does not always cool their choler; but 

 were a few hives of bees thus employed, their discomfiture would be 

 certain. The experiment has been tried. Lesser tells us, that in 1525, 

 during the confusion occasioned by a time of war, a mob of peasants 

 assembling in Hohnstein (in Thuringia) attempted to pillage the house of 

 the minister of Elende ; who having in vain employed all his eloquence 



> Thorley, 16. The Psalmist alludes to the fury of these creatures, when he says of his 

 enemies, " They compassed me about like bees.'' (Ps. cxviii. 12.) 

 « Park's Last Mission, 153. 297. Comp. Journal, 331. ' Thorley, 150. 



