AN IDYL OF THE HONEY-BEE. 55 
in this tree and their entrance is on the upper side 
near the ground, not two feet from the hole I peer 
into, and yet so quiet and secret is their going and 
coming that I fail to discover them and pass on up 
the hill. Failing in this direction, I return to the 
oak again, and then perceive the bees going out in a 
small crack in the tree. The bees do not know they 
are found out and that the game is in our hands, and 
are as oblivious of our presence as if we were ants 
or crickets. The indications are that the swarm is a 
small one, and the store of honey trifling. In “ tak- 
ing up” a bee-tree it is usual first to kill or stupefy 
the bees with the fumes of burning sulphur or with 
tobacco smoke. But this course is impracticable on 
the present occasion, so we boldly and ruthlessly as- 
sault the tree with an ax we have procured. At the 
first blow the bees set up a loud buzzing, but we 
have no mercy, and the side of the cavity is soon cut 
away and the interior with its white-yellow mass of 
comb-honey is exposed, and not a bee strikes a blow 
in defense of its all. This may seem singular, but 
it has nearly always been my experience. When a 
swarm of bees are thus rudely assaulted with an ax, 
they evidently think the end of the world has come, 
and, like true misers as they are, each one seizes as 
much of the treasure as it can hold; in other words, 
they all fall to and gorge themselves with honey, and 
calmly await the issue. When in this condition they 
make no defense and will not sting unless taken hold 
of. In fact they are as harmless as flies. Bees are 
always to be managed with boldness and decision. 
Any half-way measures, any timid poking about, any 
feeble attempts to reach their honey, are sure to be 
quickly resented. The popular notion that bees have 
