BEE 



BEE 



33 



weapon of defence. I suspected 

 that the monarch was a prisoner. 

 With a spoon I took out the 

 bees and soon found evidence to 

 confirm my supposition. The mon- 

 archs of these well regulated king- 

 doms, I had, in several instances 

 before, been favored with opportu- 

 nities to inspect. 1 found that she 

 was much longer than the other 

 bees. Her wings were of a lighter 

 hue, and the rest of her much 

 darker colour. Her motions were 

 nimble, and she displayed an activi- 

 ty not common to her subjects. — 

 After having inspected her to my 

 own satisfaction, and exhibited her 

 to the view of my family, I return- 

 ed her safe to her own dominions. 

 In doing this 1 placed her several 

 inches from the door of the hive to 

 ascertain whether any particular 

 attention would be paid their sove- 

 reign on her return. To my as- 

 tonishment I beheld several bees 

 crawl to her, and with evident 

 marks of joy and congratulation at- 

 tended her to the hive.* 



" I shall now attempt a numeri- 

 cal statement of the advantages, 

 which result from the method pro- 

 posed of managing these industri- 

 ous insects, superior to that which 

 is generally practised. 



" First. It contributes to their 

 preservation. Bees are profitable 

 insects. They richly reward us 

 for all our attention to them, and 



* It is remarked b)^ the editors of the 

 Massachusetts Agricultural Repository, that 

 " Mr. Noyes, following Virgil, seems to con- 

 sider the monarch of the bees a male. There 

 is no point more clearly settled than that the 

 monarch is a female, and the mother of the 

 whole new swarm or progeny." We have 

 therefore altered Mr. Noyes's text to con- 

 form to received opinion. 



whatever they collect that is useful 

 and pleasant, adds so much to the 

 real wealth of the community ; for 

 the sweets they extract would eva- 

 porate in the air,or decline with the 

 fading blossoms. Surely then, we 

 have motives, arising from interest 

 to spare and protect the industrious 

 bee, whose honey is not only grate- 

 ful to the taste, pleasant and whole- 

 some for food, but highly valuable 

 in a medicinal point of view ; and 

 whose wax, when extracted from 

 the comb is valuable for light, is 

 almost indispensable in some arts, 

 and is highly beneficial in medi- 

 cine.* 



"Secondly. Another advantage 

 arising from my mode of managing 

 bees, is that you can draw from the 

 hive what is more than necessary 

 to supply them during the winter. 

 Instead of leaving them honey to 

 remain in their cells year after year 

 in a candied state, you may take 

 annually what you deem superflu- 

 ous. Besides, if you find there is 

 a deficiency in some of your hives, 

 and you are apprehensive their 

 stock of provisions will not supply 

 them through the season, in which 

 they cannot find resources abroad, 

 you may give them a box of honey 



* The generality of mankind appear not 

 to be sensible how much they are indebted 

 to this insect for many of their comforts and 

 luxuries, in the ample supply of the various 

 kinds of fruit to regale them. 1 believe it is 

 well ascertained, that unless the bee or oth- 

 er insects visited the flowers, the whole class 

 of vines, fruit trees, and many culinary 

 plants would be unproductive. There evi- 

 dently appears to be two kind of blossoms, 

 which may be distinguished by the terms 

 male and female. Insects, by visiting both 

 the male and female flowers, convey the fa- 

 rina, or subtle particles to the stigma, which 

 impregnates the flower, and tluis it is render- 

 ed fruiti'iil 



