264 NORTH AMERICAN INSECTS. 



a numerous progeny. If, for instance, some hundred bees 

 are taken from one hive and transferred into an empty one, 

 they are at first very unruly, but as soon as a strange queen 

 is put into it they collect around her, as if about to celebrate 

 a great holiday ; they lick her for hours, press themselves 

 close around her, creep under her, lift her up and cover her 

 on all sides. Soon after they fly out, collect materials for 

 wax, and in the first twenty-four hours make a comb about 

 the size of a half-dollar piece, without paying the least at- 

 tention to the hive from which they were taken, even if it 

 is near by. Such small colonies, however, never prosper, 

 but soon emigrate with their queen and perish. 



If a queen and some of the working bees are thrown into 

 water until they are nearly dead, and are then brought 

 into a warm place, the latter, as soon as they recover from 

 the shock sufficiently to move, begin to manifest their anx- 

 iety for the queen, and endeavor to restore her to life by 

 licking her ; and as soon as she moves a limb a cheerful huz- 

 za is expressed by a general humming. The bees show a 

 similar affection toward every queen without distinction ; 

 even if two strange queens are put into a full hive, a crowd 

 immediately collects around them and begins to hum, and 

 soon the humming becomes general throughout the hive. 



This fact does not seem in consonance with the common 

 opinion that only one queen bee is permitted in a hive, which 

 is undoubtedly true ; but then it must be remembered that 

 the reason why they can not live together is only on account 

 of the persecution of the legitimate queen, because the bees 

 have no other desire than to people their hive as quickly 

 and as much as possible ; and in this instinct teaches them 

 right, for a thickly-peopled hive will endure the coldest win- 

 ter, while one that contains but a few will perish for want 

 of the necessary higher temperature produced by them. 

 But if there is more than one queen in a hive, these two la- 

 dies settle their pretensions to the throne by single combat, 



