AN IDYL OF THE HONEY-BEE 



had gone under the clapboards in the gable end of 

 his house. He 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 num- 

 ber of bees examining a knothole 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 discovered a swarm of 

 bees settling upon the side of the house and pouring 

 into the knothole. In subsequent 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 

 privacy 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 sum- 

 mer and so much warmer in winter! 



The bee is in the main an honest citizen: she 

 prefers 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 hel 

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