lOG On the GLcononuj of Been. 



it ; but I couckide that the bees would have returned for it, 

 had it remained till the next day. Whenever the bees quit 

 their habitation in this way, I have always observed some 

 fighting to take place ; but I conceived it to be between the 

 hees of the adjoining hives and those which were removing, 

 the former being attracted by the scent of the honey which, 

 the latter were carrying oft". 



On the farm which I occupy there were formerly many 

 old decayed trees, the cavities of wliich were frequently oc- 

 cupied by swarms of bees ; and when these were destroyed, 

 a board was generally fated to the aperture which had been 

 made to extract the honey ; and the cavity was thus prepared 

 for the reception of another swarm in the succeeding season. 

 Whenever a swarm came, I conslantly observed that about 

 iburtcen days previous to their arrival a sniall number of 

 bees, varving from twenty to fifty, were every day employed 

 in examining, and apparontlv keeping possession of, the ca- 

 vity ; for, if molested, they showed evident signs of displea- 

 sure, though they never employed their stings in defending 

 their proposed habitation. Their examination was not con- 

 Sned to the cavity, but extended to the external parts of the 

 tree above ; and every dead knot particularly arrested their at- 

 tention ; as if they had been apprehensive of being injured 

 by moisture which this might admit into the cavity below; 

 and they apparently did not leave any part of the bark near 

 the cavity unexamined. A part of the colony which pur- 

 posed to emigrate, appeared in this case to have been dele- 

 gated to search for a proper habitation ; and the individual 

 who succeeded must have apparently had some means cf 

 conveying information of his success to others; for it can- 

 rot be supposed that fifty bees should each accidentally meet 

 at, and fix upon, the same cavity, at a mile distant from their 

 hive ; which I have frequently observed them to do, in a 

 \iood where several trees were adapted for their reception ; 

 and indeed I observed that they almost uniformly selected 

 that cavity which T thought best adapted to their use. 



It not unfrcqucntly happened that swarms of my own 

 bees took potsession of these cavities, and such swarms 

 M-erc in several iiistar,ccs follov.-ed frorn my garden to the 



trees; 



