236 



THE AMERICAN BEE KEEPER. 



August 



box into which he expected to induce 

 the swarm to go. The crowd cheered 

 when Tucker reached the bees. He 

 placed the box on the cross beam and 

 started down the pole, but one of the 

 insects in an ugly mood stung him 

 just out of spite. Tucker, however, 

 was not seriously damaged. 



But when he reached the ground it 

 was discovered that the bees covered 

 his back. A small boy in the crowd 

 made a pass at them with a switch. 

 The bees began to buzz and stir and 

 fly about Tucker's ears. "Quit that, 

 you idiot," shrieked Tucker. 



Then somebody suggested that 

 Tucker be let down into the canal and 

 the bees drowned. Tucker thought 

 that might take considerable time, he 

 didn't want to get wet anyhow. But 

 the insects on his back had quieted 

 down again and he slipped off his 

 coat. 



Meanwhile the box on top of the 

 pole was filling with the insects and 

 W. G. Bargy volunteered to go up 

 and get it. When he found that there 

 Avere more bees still on the post than 

 in the box he shouted down for some 

 other receptacle. The crowd sent up 

 a keg and a brush broom. Bargy could 

 hardly be seen from the ground, the 

 honey makers were so thick about 

 him. "There's one on your ear," 

 howled an urchin. "Put salt on their 

 tails," sung out another. 



But Bargy was not going to be 

 fooled and he swept a handful of bees 

 into the keg. Pretty soon he had a 

 load and came down. Then he pro- 

 cured a smaller box in which he placed 

 some sugar. This he set on top of the 

 post and gently urged the bees with 

 the broom. After an hour's work the 

 bees had nearly all collected in the 

 box. 



On the ground was the keg and 

 other boxes and it was a question how 

 to transfer them all to the keg. It was 

 finally done with the brush broom and 

 Bargy and Tucker marched off with 

 their prize. 



When bees are swarming it is 

 claimed that they do not sting. At 

 this season of the year swarms are 

 common, especially in the country. 

 The swarm is led by the queen bee 

 which calls the rest where and when 

 it strikes her fancy. If the queen is 

 killed the bees are disorganized. 



A few weeks ago a huge swarm 

 clustered on the limb of a tree in the 

 grounds of the university. They were 

 captured. — Exchange. 



(From American Bee Journal- 



APIS DORSATA. 



For many years I have taken a deep 

 interest in plans for the introduction 

 of this variety of bees into America. 

 The late Mr. Woodbury of Exter, 

 England, and myself, were in corres- 

 pondence upon this subject. Learn- 

 ing from me the steps I proposed to 

 take for securing it, he requested as 

 a favor that I should wait until the 

 results of his efforts could be seen ; 

 offering in the most generous manner 

 to give me the benefit of all his knowl- 

 edgd and facilities, if I thought best 

 not to postpone my efforts. As he 

 was the first to plan for its importa- 

 tion from its native habitation, and 

 as my knowledge of it came mainly 

 from his writings, 1 felt that it was 

 due to him that I should comply with 

 bis request. 



His death, so sudden and unex- 

 pected , was a great loss to the bee- 

 keeping world ; and I have never been 



