100 LIVING CREATURES. 



the time of hatching, may be cut out and inserted in 

 the comb in the new hive. 



If handled gently, bees are not apt to sting, though 

 the bee-hat and a little smoke are often made use of. 

 A very pretty case of swarming is told by a French 

 bee-keeper : ' ' A young girl of my acquaintance, who 

 was much afraid of bees, was completely cured of her 

 fear by the following incident : A swarm having come 

 off, I observed the queen alight by herself at a little 

 distance from the apiary (bee-house). I immediately 

 called my little friend, that I might show her the 

 queen. She wished to see her more closely. 



"So after having caused her to put on her gloves, 

 I gave the queen into her hand. We were in an in- 

 stant surrounded by all the bees of the swarm. I en- 

 couraged the girl to be steady, bidding her be silent 

 and fear nothing. I then made her stretch out her right 

 hand, which held the queen, and covered her head and 

 shoulders with a very thin handkerchief. The swarm 

 soon fixed on her hand and hung from it as from the 

 branch of a tree. The little girl was delighted beyond 

 measure, and the spectators were charmed with the in- 

 teresting spectacle. At length I brought a hive, and, 

 shaking the swarm from her hand, it was lodged in 

 safety, and without inflicting a single wound." 



The life of the first brood of workers is about six 

 weeks. Those hatched later in the season live longer, 

 and a few endure the winter. The queen may live four 

 years. The drones, which number about one thirtieth 

 part of a hive, are all slaughtered by the workers, dur- 

 ing the latter part of the summer. They are of no use 

 now. They neither work nor sting; and why should 



