THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL AND GAZETTE. 



217 



[From the London "Field."] 



A Swarm Settling on the FacQ. 



In June, 1854, Mr. Jumes Simmonds, a 

 farmer, residing at Brool^lauds Farm, Wej^- 

 bridge, was dressing, in order to attend a rent 

 audit at Woburn House. Before putting on his 

 coat, he perceived from his window an unusu- 

 ally large swarm of bees, filling the air with 

 their cloud and noise. It was in fact, as he 

 afterwards ascertained, two swarms that had 

 come out of two distinct hives, and had united 

 in the air. He ran out in his shirt-sleeves, and 

 Avithout his hat, to see where they would alight. 

 The bees, after making some circles in the air, 

 led him otf to the bank of the river Wey. 

 Thinking that they might cross the river, and 

 perhaps escape, he adopted a plan not uncom- 

 mon with bee-masters — namely, that of throw- 

 ing dust into the air among the bees. This 

 often makes them settle quickly. They did 

 settle quickly, and this more so than he ex- 

 pected, for in a short time the whole of one of 

 the largest swarms he had ever seen settled 

 upon his head, face, and breast. They hung 

 down in fi out like a great beard to the bottom 

 of his waistcoat. Had he not been well accus- 

 tomed to bees and perfectly collected, his situ- 

 ation would have been a very dangerous one; 

 lor, had he at all irritated this mass of armed 

 insects, he would no doubt have received a su- 

 fficient number of stiugs to have placed his life 

 in peril. He was obliged to close his eyes 

 slowly, and keep his mouth shut. Then, in 

 order to prevent their entering his nostrils, 

 which they endeavored to do, he slowly thrust 

 one hand through the mass, and with two 

 fingers managed to keep pushing and drawing 

 them away from his nostrils as they tried to 

 enter, he breathing all the while as softly as 

 possible. This w^as necessary, as bees are 

 generally irritated by being breathed upon. He 

 then began to consider what course he should 

 take. He was some distance from his house, 

 and no one near him or within call. His first 

 thought was to walk slowly into the river Wey, 

 and gently sink his head under the water, and 

 thus throw oft" the swarm. But a moment's 

 consideration dissuaded him from that at- 

 tempted remedy. He could not have disen- 

 gaged them all, for many were between his 

 neckclotn and skin, and still more were crawl- 

 ing down his back. He found that if he walked 

 he could not help disturbing the hanging mass, 

 and that everj^ little agitation, however slight, 

 caused a hum and a hiss from some thousands. 

 He then remembered the account given in 

 Thorlcy's work on bees, of a swarm settling on 

 the face and neck of a servant-maid, who es- 

 caped unhurt by the care and advice of her 

 master, he, without irritating the swarm, hav- 

 ing hived it from off her with a hive well 

 smeared with honey. To avoid agitating the 

 swarm, Mr. Simmonds slowly knelt down on 

 the grass, and remained perfectly still. He 

 thenfound that a number of bees were gather- 

 ing in a mass under the waistband of his trou- 

 sers, in the hollow of his back, to which spot 

 the others were drawing, indicating that the 



queen was there. Fearing, therefore, that the 

 tightness of the waistbaml — rendered lighter 

 whenever he breathed — might crush, or at any 

 rate irritate, this part of the swarm, he slowly 

 unbuttoned the front of his trousers. 



It is not easy to conceive a more helpless con- 

 dition than that to which Mr. Simmonds was 

 now reduced. He that was master of forty 

 hives, from which he could usually levy what 

 spoils he pleased, killing his thousands at plea- 

 sure with a brimstone match, was now com- 

 pletely in the power of one detachment of his 

 own army, and was reduced to the most sup- 

 pliant position. Even to call for help would 

 have been dangerous, as the bees near his mouth 

 would undoubtedly have been irritated, and 

 would probably have entered his mouth. At 

 this moment he heard a railway train on the 

 Chertsey Branch Railway, from which he was 

 about fifty yards. It fortunately happened that 

 the engine-driver M^as known to him, and had 

 a little commission from him to sound his rail- 

 way whistle if he saw anything wrong among 

 his cows or sheep. 



The engine-driver seeing Mr. Simmonds on 

 his knees, with one arm extended as if for help, 

 and something odd hanging from his face, 

 sounded his whistle. This was heard by Mr. 

 Simmonds' wife, who, supposing that some cow 

 was ill, sent her son and a farming man out 

 into the fields. They soon found Mr. Sim- 

 monds in the predicament above described. In 

 addition to the hanging mass, there was a cloud 

 of bees still flying around him, so that that to 

 approach him was not the most agreeable office. 

 However, they came near enough to hear him 

 speak, which he did very gently, merely say- 

 ing : "bring me a bushel hive well rubbed with 

 honey, and some bricks." 



While they were gone at the top of their 

 speed, he remained perfectly still. The tick- 

 ling of the bees' feet on his face was almost un- 

 bearable, and the danger of irr.tating those 

 that were down his neck and back was im- 

 minent. 



The most difficult part he had to perform, 

 however, was that before mentioned, of dissua- 

 ding the bees with the ends of his fingers, from 

 getting up his nostrils. These bees were not 

 in good humor, as they were breathed upon, 

 and were also deterred from doing as they 

 pleased; and one bee showed his displeasure by 

 stinging Mr. Simmonds at the fork of his two 

 fingers. This was not pleasant of itself; but it 

 was a serious occurrence, as it might be the 

 preclude to a more extensive attack. He avoided 

 making any start, and continued to push away 

 as gently as he could those that were near his 

 nostrils. This was the only safe place to 

 breathe from, as it was necessary to keep his 

 mouth entirely closed. Of course, the few 

 minutes that elapsed before the return of his 

 son and servant seemed a terribly long period 

 to Mr. Simmonds, and. during the whole of it 

 he remained as motionless as possible on his 

 knees. 



On their arrival, the hive was placed on three 

 bricks, with its mouth downwards, and Mr. 

 Simmonds slowly laid himself on his breast on 

 the grass, with his head close to the hive. The 



