1898. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



103 



Our family consists of wife and I and 

 three children. We have two children 

 dead, and have considerable sickness 

 in our family, yet we are all contented 

 and happy, for we have one strong 

 hold on the bright side of life — we are 

 always Jolley. 



Franklin, Pa. 



When Kings Ruled the Hive. 



For the following very interesting 

 extract, from a book over 300 years old, 

 we are indebted to Mr. George C. 

 Deane, of Cambridge, Mass., who kind- 

 ly copied it for the benefit of Bee- 

 Keeper readers. The orthography and 

 phraseology are no less interesting at 

 this time than the theories of Mr. Hill, 

 with whom we will make no effort to 

 establish a direct lineage owing to a 

 press of other business just now: 



THE RIGHT ORDERING OF BEES. 



By Thomm Hill, London, 1571,. 



Of the marvelous government of the 

 King of Honey Bees nature hath not 

 only committed her laws to bookes, the 

 which men may learn by, but hath es- 

 pecially set forth conditions and prop- 

 erties, as for an example of the like, 

 be the Bees, whose kings for doubt of 

 revenging, have by the prudence of na- 

 ture no stings. Whereby is to be un- 

 derstaded, that the kings ruling in 

 power, through the lacke of their 

 stinger may be by that means the slow- 

 er to hurt, and offer revengement. But 

 some affirm the kings to have stings, 

 but they suppose them not to use their 

 stings. And of this Plinie maketh a 

 doubt whether the kings be armed as 

 the other Bees, or lacketh a sting, 

 which Columella putteth out of doubt, 

 writing of the king that he hath no 

 sting, unlesse any perhappes thinketh 

 that big heads, as it were, which the 

 king carrieth in his belly, to be his 

 sting, with the which at no time they 

 use to sting or hurt any. This king 

 onely do Bees reverence, and honor 

 him in such sort, that any of them in 

 obedience and very ready at his bid- 

 ding, to do whatsoever he assigneth 



them unto. Also this obedience ser- 

 vice which they use to their king, they 

 do not the same for fear of punishment 

 but only of a love which they owe un- 

 to him. Yet they punishe one another 

 in such sort that their stings be lost 

 they die forthwith. Aristotle writeth 

 of two manner of kings, the one as he 

 affirmeth to be red, which he judgeth 

 the better, the other king black of col- 

 or which he confesseth te be lessor of 

 body, yet howsoever the king be, they 

 are notwithstanding far bigger of 

 bodythan t he honny Bees, and have a 

 brighter and goodlier head than other 

 Bees, yet shorter wings, so that their 

 king created among them goeth not at 

 any time forth of the hive, without the 

 whole swarm follow him. The king 

 flying forth of the hive at any time, the 

 other follow him, in such sorte, that 

 eche covet to flie next him, and joyeth 

 to be seen of the. king in office, and 

 wensoever the king setteth him or 

 resteth, there be other Bees placed like 

 strong holders or castles about him. 

 About the king also be certain rulers, 

 which waite upon by daily authoritie. 

 If any happeneth, as writeth Plinie, 

 to breake of the king's right wing, then 

 from the king will not the swarme af- 

 ter depart, as the like was rehersed 

 afore. Besides these, the Bees have a 

 marvelous order among them if the 

 king happens to die, for they shall bit- 

 terly mourne for their king head, and 

 for the lacke of another, as such which 

 cannot be guided and ruled without a 

 king among them, of this they be in 

 continuall mourning. So that for the 

 time, they carry no food into their 

 hives, nor fly not forth, but with a sad 

 bewailing and humming, after their 

 king, they heap thick together about 

 the dead bodie, and unless another 

 king increaseth little by little among 

 them, they die for hunger. Their king 

 laboreth not, but as the other flye 

 forthe, in the raeane time as an ex- 

 horter moveth and encourageth for- 

 ward every one to his worke, by his 

 flying about In the hyve. 



