Retrospeet of French Literature—Miscellanies. 
leaf-hive, which appears to be a most ad- 
mirable contrivance, and commenced his 
Observations at the period of swarming, 
He was enabled to see what occurred at 
the bottom of the hive, and be there 
witnessed a real massacre of the males, 
on which oceasion they perished by the 
stings of the working bees, who darted 
them with such violence, as to find it dit- 
ficult to draw them back again. It is not 
alittle surprising, however, that in case 
a hive should be deprived of its queen 
bee, the males are allowed to survive 
another winter, their aid being absolutely 
necessary for the impregnation of a new 
queen. 
{n respect to swarms, we learn: 
4. That each is regularly led, either by 
the queen of the original hive, or one 
recently brought into existence, and al- 
lowed to live, for this express purpose, 
The * great laying” takes place in May, 
which Jasts about thirty days, and on the 
twentieth, or twenty-first, the foundations 
of the royal cells are constructed. 
2. When the larve hatched in the eggs 
in the royal cells are ready to transform 
into nymphe, the old queen, who always 
conducts the first swarm, leaves the hive, 
followed by her subjects; and on her 
assuming a new habitation, her majesty 
begins with the deposition of workers’ 
eggs. 
3. After the old queen has conducted 
the first swarm from the hive, the remain- 
ing bees take particular care of the royal 
cells, and prevent the young queens, as 
they are hatched in succession, from 
Jeaving them, unless at intervals of se- 
wveral days between each. ; 
We learn also, that a swarm is never 
‘seen except on a fine day, or at least at 
atime of the day when the sun shines, 
and the air is calm. The circumstance 
‘of a cloud passing over the sun, produces 
‘@ great effect on the hive, and will delay 
the ‘expedition of a new colony. A tu- 
mult also takes place on the hatching of 
‘the queen ‘bees; and it is not a ‘Itttle 
remarkable, that on one of these occa- 
‘sions, M. Huber observed the thermo- 
meter, in the hive, to rise from 92° to 
404°, This heat itself is calculated by 
Nature to produce swarming; and it has 
‘been asserted, that one strong lively hive 
thas parted with no ewer than four swarms 
fin the course of eighteen days, 
4, The young queens who conduct 
“swarms being still in a virgin state, the 
day after their settlement they gencrally 
o in quest of the males, in order to ful- 
fil the purposes of natures but the old 
Moytury Mac. No, 180, 
67 
queens are in no need of such. inter~ 
course; for, according to our author, “a 
single copulation is swflicient to impreg- 
nate the whole eges that a queen will lay 
in the course of two years; and,” adds he, 
“<a single conjunction wall impregnate all 
the eggs she will lay during her whole 
life; but my proof does not absolutely 
extend beyond two years.”—This little 
volume cannot fail to be relished both 
by the bee-fancier and the naturalist. 
“Claire d’Albe,” &c.—Clara d’Albe, 
2 vols. 12mo. 
This novel isthe production of Madame 
Cottin, a lady who ‘has already distin- 
guished herself in’ thjs species of compo= 
sition by her “ Elizabeth,” and her ‘* Ma- 
tilda.” Notwithstanding the story is told 
in a series of letters, yet the narrative is 
given in a eonnected form, and proves 
upon the whole infinitely more interest- 
ing than moral. 
Clara d’Albe, the heroine, at an early 
period of life becomes the wife of Mon- 
sieur d’Albe, a very worthy old gentle- 
man, whose years, in point of number, 
more than triple ‘hers. He is descended 
from an ancient family in the vicinity of 
Yours, near to which stands his castle. 
There, following the-fashion of the times, 
he has established a large manufactory, 
crowded with workmen, in which he takes 
great delight. 
Happiness attends their union, note 
withstanding the disparity of their years; 
and Clara, who had bestowed her hand 
on her husband in express compliance 
with the wish of her parents, if she is 
not captivated with his person, at least 
respects ‘his integrity, and admires his 
benevolence. Two children, the one ‘a 
fine boy, called Adolphus, and ‘the other 
a beautiful girl, called Laura, seem to * 
add stability to their affections; ‘but the 
lady herself, unfortunately, beyins to feel 
a want of something—and this something 
is love! 
She discloses a part at least of her 
feelings on this subject to her ‘bosom- 
friend, Elizabeth de Biré, and’ seems to 
think herself rather blameable on this 
oceasion. 
“To solicit the approaches of lovey? 
observes she, “ would doubtless be crimi- 
nal, and even to harbour the idea might 
he vicious, ‘Believe me, ‘however, my 
Elizabeth, that it is but seldom I dwell 
upon the subject, as T only conceive some 
vague and general ideas, which I-never 
indulge, 
* You wonld do me wrong to suppose 
that those ideas return more, frequently 
4R 12, 
