68 Transactions of the 



cluster round tliem for that purpose ; the temperature of the 

 hive, before swarming takes place, often rises about 14°. For 

 the purpose of ventilating the hive, some of the bees fasten 

 their feet to the base, near the entrance ; they then violently 

 vibrate their wings and thus produce a cuiTent of air. The 

 presence of water near the hive is necessary for the pro- 

 sperity of bees, and where there is none provided by nature, 

 troughs should be placed containing it, at short distances 

 from the hive. In one of the Science journals, there has 

 been much discussion lately as to whether bees, during each 

 excursion in search of pollen, confine themselves to one 

 species of flower and those closely connected with it, or 

 whether they roam at random from flower to flower. As a 

 rule, it is probable, I think, that the bee derives its pollen 

 from one species of flower only, but, under special circum- 

 stances, this general rule is superseded by the law of neces- 

 sity. When gathered, the pollen is rolled up into little balls 

 and put on the pair of baskets in the hinder legs. Among 

 the plants and trees from which the bee derives its treasures, 

 may be mentioned clover, honeysuckle, buckwheat, willow, 

 poplar, sycamore, snowdrop, crocus, white alyssum, furze, 

 heath, amaracus, thyme, mint, orange and lemon trees, and 

 gooseberry, currant, and raspberry bushes. In all countries 

 where bees are kept, both in ancient and modern times, it 

 has been a custom to move bees about from one part of tlie 

 country to another, in order that they may be employed in 

 culling the sweets of the richest flowers, all the sunny months 

 of the year. The Greeks moved their bees from Acliaia to 

 Attica ; Pliny tells us the custom was prevalent among the 

 Romans ; the Sicilians moved their bees to Hybla, so that 

 ' Hyblsea ' has become a constant epithet of ' Apis.' In 

 England, the inhabitants of the low lands remove their bees 

 in the autumn months to the heath and furze of the hills. 

 On the Rhine and Nile may be seen barges filled with bee- 

 hives, drifting slowly along. There are many different kinds of 

 bee-hives, constructed with great mechanical ingenuity ; but 

 perhaps the simplest way of managing one or two hives is, to 

 put a bell glass over the top of a cottage hive. The practice 

 of destroying bees is at once ru.thless and wasteful, and it is 

 impossible to realise the cruelty to the bees, without wit- 

 nessing the destruction of a hive. Bees seldom die a natural 

 death, as they are subject to the attacks of so many enemies. 

 Among the most formidable, are bears, badgers, ant-eaters, 

 swallows, bee-eaters, sparrows, toads, spiders, lizards, and 

 poultry. Against these enemies barricades are often erected. 



