iC?6 BEES. 



witli such a g-lowing' account of the land of milk and honey 

 they have discovered, that the swarm will be impatient to 

 be off and take possession. This must, however, be done 

 with great care, and the decoy-hive not placed in the air toir- 

 soon, as its seductive stores will not only attract the bees 

 who are intended to be its legitimate occupants, but also 

 wasps, hornets, and robber-bees of all descriptions, so that 

 the swarm will have to inaugurate their entrance by a battle. 

 Bees always will settle themselves as soon as possible 

 after swarming, and if they have not already determined 

 upon a new habitation will fix themselves in the first 

 place that they think will suit them. There are many in- 

 stances known of bees having swarmed unexpectedly, and after 

 escaping from their former owners, having made their habi- 

 tation in a hollow tree in a wood, or in the roof of some 

 deserted hovel. There have been several instances of bees 

 choosing to make their nests in the roof or tower of a church, 

 and an instance came very recently under the writer's 

 notice. For several years the congregation had been con- 

 siderably annoyed by the presence of bees during the ser- 

 vice, but had made no particular endeavours to rid them- 

 selves of the plague. One summer, however, brought with 

 it such an increase of bees that it was deemed necessary to 

 institute an inquiry ; for the winged intruders came in such 

 mimbers, and buzzed about so loudly, and frightened the 

 juvenile portion of the congregation to such a degree, that 

 the service could not proceed with any comfort. After 

 some search a hole was discovered in the roof of the church, 

 through which the bees were constantly passing*. This 

 was accordingly stopped up, and the workmen retired con- 

 gratulating themselves on getting rid of their winged ene- 

 mies so easily. They were, however, quite mistaken, for 

 the bees descended in undiminished numbers. The roof 

 was again examined, and found to be in such bad re- 

 pair, that the colony of bees who had taken up their re- 

 sidence between the roof and the leads, had found numerous 

 openings, which they had enlarged for their own purposes. 

 How to eject this formidable band was now the subject of 

 deep consultation. Sulphur-smoke would not answer, be- 

 cause it would soon pass out through the apertures in 

 the roof, and besides, there was a very prevalent alarm lest 



