THE HONEY-BEE. 135 



season is to the amateur in Bee-economy, a most in- 

 teresting period in the life and operations of these 

 extraordinary insects, and affords, perhaps, fully as 

 much gratification as any other part of their proceed- 

 ings. By tl^e mere practical Bee-master, who looks 

 almost exclusively to the return of profit arising from 

 their culture, the honey-harvest will, of course, be 

 regarded as the period of most interest. But by the 

 Naturalist, the season of swarming, by bringing into 

 view some of the most striking features of their mar- 

 vellous instincts, and thus affording additional scope 

 for his favourite studies, will ever be hailed with the 

 most intense delight. 



We have already observed that the breeding season 

 commences about the end of January, or early in Feb-* 

 ruary, unless the temperature be unusually severe, 

 and continues with constantly increasing progress and 

 activity throughout the summer. The addition thus 

 made to the population is almost incredible. At the 

 beginning of the year, a hive which in the preceding 

 October contained no less than 12,000 or 15,000 

 inhabitants, will be reduced below as many hund- 

 reds ; and yet, by the beginning or middle of June> 

 the numbers, provided the Queen be an ordinarily 

 fertile one, and the season not unfavourable, will be 

 augmented to more than the original amount, exclu- 

 sive of an immense quantity of brood in progress of 

 incubation. It is not surprising, therefore, that about 

 mid-summer, or even before it, there seems a want 

 of room in the hive, and a determination on the part 

 of the bees to desert their crowded habitation, and 



