AN IDYL OF THE HONEY-BEE. 67 



had taken a large lot of honey out of both places 

 the year before. Another farmer told me that one 

 day his family had seen a number of bees examining 

 a knot-hole in the side of his house ; the next day as 

 they were sitting down to dinner their attention was 

 attracted by a loud humming noise, when they dis- 

 covered a swarm of bees settling upon the side of the 

 bouse and pouring into the knot-hole. In subse- 

 quent years other swarms came to the same place, 



Apparently every swarm of bees before it leaves 

 the parent hive sends out exploring parties to look 

 up the future home. The woods and groves are 

 searched through and through, and no doubt the pri- 

 vacy of many a squirrel and many a wood mouse is 

 intruded upon. What cozy nooks and retreats they 

 do spy out, so much more attractive than the painted 

 hive in the garden, so much cooler in summer and so 

 much warmer in winter ! 



The bee is in the main an honest citizen ; she pre- 

 fers legitimate to illegitimate business ; she is never 

 an outlaw until her proper sources of supply fail ; 

 she will not touch honey as long as honey-yielding 

 flowers can be found ; she always prefers to go to 

 the fountain-head, and dislikes to take her sweets at 

 second hand. But in the fall after the flowers have 

 failed she can be tempted. The bee-hunter takes 

 advantage of this fact ; he betrays her with a little 

 honey. He wants to steal her stores, and he first 

 encourages her to steal his, then follows the thief 



O ' 



home with her booty. This is the whole trick of the 



