20 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XL 



fail the inhabitants of any particular hive, the swarm makes 

 a concerted attack upon a neighbouring one, with the view of 

 plundering it. The swarm that is thus attacked, at once 

 ranges itself in battle array, and if the bee-keeper should 

 happen to be present, that side which perceives itself favoured 

 by him will refrain from attacking him. They often fight, 

 too, for other reasons as well, and the two generals are t;o be 

 seen drawing up their ranks in battle array against their op- 

 ponents. The dispute generally arises in culling from the 

 flowers, when each, the moment "that it is in danger, summons 

 its companions to its aid. The battle, however, is immediately 

 put an end to by throwing dust 62 among them, or raising a 

 smoke ; and if milk or honey mixed with water is placed be- 

 fore them, they speedily become reconciled. 



CHAT. 19. (18.) THE VARIOUS KINDS OF BEES. 



There are field bees also, and wild bees, ungainly in appear- 

 ance, and much more irascible than the others, but remarkable 

 for their laboriousness and the excellence of their work. Of 

 domestic bees there are two sorts ; the best are those with 

 short bodies, speckled all over, and of a compact round shape. 

 Those that are long, and resemt}le the wasp in appearance, 

 are an inferior kind ; and of these last, the very worst of all 

 are those which have the body covered with hair. In Pontus 

 there is a kind of white bee, which makes honey twice a 

 month. On the banks of the river Thermodon there are 

 two kinds found, one of which makes honey in the trees, the 

 other under ground : they form a triple row of combs, and 

 produce honey in the greatest abundance. 



Nature has provided bees with a sting, which is inserted in 

 the abdomen of the insect. There are some who think that 

 at the first blow which they inflict with this weapon they will 

 instantly die, 63 while others, again, are of opinion that such is 

 not the case, unless the animal drives it so deep as to cause 

 a portion of the intestines to follow ; and they assert, also, 

 that after they have thus lost their sting they become drones, 64 



62 So Virgil says — 



" Haec certamina tanta 



Pulveris exigui jactu compressa quiescent." — Georg. iv. 87. 



63 If it is left in tbe wound, the insect dies, being torn asunder. 



64 Of course this is fabulous, as the drones are males. 



