2*8 THE HUMBLE-BEE 



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After this I dropped the workers, which had 

 become lethargic, into the box : one of them fell 

 close to the queen, who lifted her leg as a 

 warning to it, but when, a few minutes later, the 

 workers recovered animation, mutual friendship was 

 established. 



The weather being unfavourable and the workers 

 few and undersized, I did not allow the bees their 

 liberty, but kept them caged and supplied them 

 morning and evening with honey and pollen, and 

 they prospered well. 



July 7. The queen laid a number of eggs during 

 the night. 



July 10. She laid some more eggs. 



July 14. Possessing another caged nest of lapi- 

 darius, I exchanged queens. They took to one 

 another's brood and were received amicably by the 

 workers, but at first seemed apprehensive that 

 something was not quite right. 



July 17. I reinstated each queen in her own 

 nest ; this exchange was also effected without 

 incident. 



July 19. The box containing the nest, which 

 was situated on a table in my study, had been acci- 

 dentally left open, and a worker that had evidently 

 escaped from it was seen to fly in through the open 

 window, laden with pollen. She flew to the nest- 

 table, which was about three yards from the window, 

 and alighting, ran into the nest. It was a prettily 

 executed feat, and as the time had now come to let 

 the colony have its liberty, the workers having 



