BEES. 



hum, that appears to his mind very siit^gcsxive of sting's, and 

 causps him to assure himself of the exact locaHtj of his 

 bottle of hnrtshorn. However, he nerves himself for the 

 attack, recollects that the hive is to he placed below the 

 swarm, and then a smart tap is to be given to the branch. 

 So he sprinkles sugar and beer in the hive, places it under 

 the swarm, takes a very long* stick, and standing at a respect- 

 fid distance, administers a rather feeble tap to the fatal branch. 

 No effect is produced, and he gives another tap rather more 

 powerful than the last. The obstinate bees still remain fixed 

 to their branch like a quaker's hat to his head, and no per- 

 ceptible effect is produced excepting- a kind of general move- 

 ment in the swarm, which appears to indicate an intention 

 on the part of the bees to hold together rather closer than 

 before, Having now gained some courage, he once more 

 uplifts the stick, and permits it to descend upon the branch 

 with rather more violence than in either of the former assaults, 

 Down go some hundred bees or so into the hive, where they 

 are heard buzzing away in a most frantic manner, and filled 

 with indignation at the unceremonious manner in which 

 their wings are clogged with the sticky compound in the 

 hive, while the remainder rise in a disturbed mass from their 

 branch. The terrified hee-Jieeper, losing all the remainder of 

 liis presence of mind, throws the long stick at the swarm, and 

 takes to his heels, too happy to find any place of refuge from 

 his winged foes. In a few minutes he emerges just in time 

 to see his swarm disapjiearing over his hedge, and in a few 

 minutes the vigorous tinklings of keys and warming-pan* 

 assure him that others are engaged in the pursuit of the 

 bees which he has permitted to escape. Next time he re- 

 members that if the swarm be intended to fall into the hive^ 

 the hranch must be struck very sharply indeed. 



In this as in every other occupation, great decision is ne- 

 cessary, as the bees are very irascible creatures, and any 

 fumbling about their dwellings or themselves irritates them 

 marvellously, while a bold and rapid course of proceeding 

 appears to astonish them out of the power of doing injury. 

 Indeed it is said that a skilful operator can turn up a hive 

 and cut out combs with impunity while the bees are hard 

 at work within. One bee-writer remarks that single bees 

 if boldly caught in the hand will not sting. Before trying* 



