200 PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 



retreat with hasty steps, and some of them flew after 

 me ; I escaped however unstung. Thorley relates an 

 anecdote of a gentleman, who, desirous of securing a 

 swarm of bees that had settled in a hollow tree, rashly 

 undertook to dislodge them. He succeeded; but though 

 he had used the precaution of securing his head and 

 hands, he was so stung by the furious animals, that a 

 violent fever was the consequence, and his recovery was 

 for some time doubtful. The strength of his constitu- 

 tion at length prevailed ; and the hole of the tree be- 

 ing stopped, the survivors of the battle settled upon a 

 branch, were hived, and became the dear-bought pro- 

 perty of their conqueror 1 . 



In Mungo Park's last mission to Africa, he was much 

 annoyed by the attack of bees, probably of the same 

 tribe with our hive-bee. His people, in search of ho- 

 ney, disturbed a large colony of them. The bees sallied 

 forth by myriads, and attacking men and beasts indis- 

 criminately, put them all to the rout. One horse and 

 six asses were either killed or missing in consequence of 

 their attack ; and for half an hour the bees seemed to 

 have completely put an end to their journey. Isaaco 

 upon another occasion lost one of his asses, and one of 

 his men was almost killed by them b . 



Bees, however, if they are not molested, are not usu- 

 ally ill-tempered : if you make a captive of their queen, 

 they will cluster upon your head, or any other part of 

 your body, and never attempt to sting you. I remem- 



a Thorley, 16 The Psalmist alludes to the fury of these crea- 

 tures, when he says of his enemies, " They compassed me about like 

 bees.*' Ps. cxviii. 12. 



b Park's Last Mission, 153. 297. Comp. Journal, 331. 



