806 



\ HISTORY OF 



lose a part of their natural sagacity in pro- 

 viding for themselves. The rabbit, when do- 

 mesticated, forgets to dig holes, the hen to 

 build a nest, and the bee to seek a shelter 

 that shall protect it from the inclemencies of 

 winter. In those countries where the bees 

 are wild, and unprotected by man, they are 

 always sure to build their waxen cells in the 

 hoilo-.v of a tree; but with us, they seem im- 

 provident in their choice, and the first green 

 bninch that stops their flight, seems to be 

 thought sufficient for their abode through 

 winter. However, it does not appear that 

 the queen chooses the place where they are 

 to alight, for many of the stragglers, who seem 

 to be pleased with a particular branch, go 

 and settle upon it; others are seen to suc- 

 ceed ; and, at last, the queen herself, when 

 ghe finds a sufficient number there before her, 

 goes to make it the place of her head-quar- 

 ters. When the queen is settled, the rest of 

 the swarm soon follow; and in about a quar- 

 ter of an hour, the whole body seem to be at 

 ease. It sometimes is found, that there are 

 two or three queens to a swarm, and the 

 colony is divided into parties; but it most 

 usually happens, that one of these is more 

 considerable than the other, and the bees, by 

 degrees, desert the weakest, to take shelter 

 under the most powerful protector. The 

 deserted queen does not long survive this de- 

 feat ; she takes refuge under the new monarch, 

 and is soon destroyed by her jealous rival. 

 Till this cruel execution is performed, the 

 bees never go out to work; and if there 

 should be a queen-bee belonging to the new 

 colony left in the old hive, she always under- 

 o-oes the fate of the former. However, it 

 must be observed, that the bees never sacri- 

 fice any of their queens, when the hive is 

 full of wax and honey ; for there is at that 

 time no danger in maintaining a plurality of 

 breeders. 



When the swarm is thus conducted to a 

 place of rest, and the policy of government 

 is settled, the bees soon resume their former 

 labours. The making cells, storing them 



vith honey, impregnating the queen, making 

 proper cells for the reception of the rising 

 progeny, and protecting them from external 

 danger, employ their unceasing industry. 



But soon after, and towards the latter end of 



summer, when the colony is sufficiently stored 

 with inhabitants, a most cruel polir.) ei . 

 The drone bees, which are (as has been said) 

 generally in a hive to the number of a hun- 

 dred, are marked for slaughter. These, 

 which had hitherto led a lite oi indolence and 

 pleasure, whose only employment was in 

 impregnating the queen, and rioting upoi ihe 

 labours of the hive, without aiding in the 

 general toil, now share the fate of riiost vo- 

 luptuaries, and fall a sacrifice to the general 

 resentment of society. 



The working bees, in a body, declare war 

 against them ; and in two or three days' time, 

 the ground all round th< hive is covered 

 with their dead bodies. Nay, the working 

 bees will even kill such drones, as are yet in 

 the worm state, in the cell, and eject their 

 bodies from the hive, among the general car- 

 nage. 



When a hive sends out several swarms in 

 the year, the first is always the best, and the 

 most numerous. These, having the whole 

 summer before them, have the more time to? 

 making wax and honey, and consequently 

 their labours are the most valuable to the 

 proprietor. Although the swarm chiefly con- 

 sists of the youngest bees, yet it is often 

 found, that bees of all ages compose (be mul- 

 titude of emigrants, and it often happens, that 

 bees of all ages are seen remaining behind. 

 The number of them is always more con- 

 siderable than that of some populous cities, 

 for sometimes upwards of forty thousand are 

 found in a single hive. So large a body may 

 well be supposed to work with great expedi- 

 tion; and, in fact, in less than twenty -four 

 hours, they will make combs above twenty 

 inches long, and seven or eight broad. Some- 

 times they will half fill their hives with wax 

 in less than five days. In the first fifteen 

 days, they are always found to make more 

 wax than they do afterwards during the rest 

 of the year. 



Such are the outlines of the natural history 

 of these animals, as usually found in our own 

 country. How they are treated, so as to pro- 

 duce the greatest quantity of honey, belongs 

 rather to the rural economist, than the natu- 

 ral historian ; volumes have been written on 

 the subject, and still more remains equally 

 curious and new. One thing, however, it may 



