BEES. 



attacks oi a tliousand bees. The hands and face may a« a 

 lurther precaution be rubbed with sweet herbs. It is necT.'S- 

 sary that the brim of the hat be very wide, as otherwise the 

 veil sits closely upon the tip of the nose and the point of the 

 cbin, neither of which, particularly the former, are ag-reeaole 

 places to be disfigured with the sting* of a bee. If at any 

 time a bee succeeds in fixing* its sting, there is no better cure 

 than a little ammonia or hartshorn rubbed on the place. 

 Jf'^ bee-keeper should be without a small bottle of harts- 

 iiorn, which must be always kept carefully stopped. 



The swarm once resettled in their new habitation, their 

 labours begin with the construction of the comb in the mode 

 we have already described in the preceding* pag-es. 



But the round of the yearly phenomena in the old hive 

 is not yet completed. We must see what passes in the hive 

 after the departure of the first swarm or colony, which gene- 

 rally takes place in the morning*, or middle of the day, when 

 a g-reat number of the bees are abroad, collecting honey. 

 Stirring* news for them to receive as they return to the hive ! 

 However, there is no time for lamentation ; no good in dis- 

 order. So, g-radually, quiet is restored. And then we may 

 see the nurse-bees once more at work, engaged not only in 

 tending the ordinary young, but in what may be called the 

 culminating point of their annual labours, the helping forth 

 into the world the royal scions, and from which they will 

 supply their own queenless realm. They accordingly scrape 

 away fiom one of the royal cells the wax that has been so 

 lavishly bestowed upon it. Doubt not but they know whicli 

 is the right one, that is to say, where lies the oldest of the 

 young unborn queens. And here is exhibited another re- 

 markable example of the bee-provision. The eggs in the 

 royal cells were all laid with an interval of at least a day be- 

 tween each. Now that they are coming to maturit}'' accord- 

 ingly, they come not altogether, but in due succession, by 

 which means the bees, as we shall see, have time to know 

 how many of them they shall want, and be able to provided 

 accordingly. In due time the royal pupa within obeys th« 

 stirring influences that call upon her to burst her cerement, 

 and she would at once emerge into perfect life, but that the 

 nurse-bees, who keep watch and ward over her, knowing 

 what is £^ood for her better than she does herself as yet, 



