236 BEE TRUMPETER. 



of the rose, which never fails, in alighting on the bosom of his 

 favourite flower, to salute her with a wing sonata of delighted 

 homage. 



The tones of insects, as well as the songs of birds, have 

 been deemed worth the trouble of notation. Gardiner, in 

 his " Music of Nature," tells us that the gnat hums in the 

 note A on the second space ; the death-watch calls (as the owl 

 hoots) in B flat, and is answered in G ; the three notes of the 

 cricket are in B ; the buzz of a bee-hive in F ; that of the 

 house-fly in F in the first space; the humble bee an octave 

 lower ; the cock-chafer D below the line. 



Although in no case proceeding from the mouth, the sounds 

 we have been hitherto regarding as instrumental music are 

 no less to be considered as a veritable language, serving, in 

 lieu of voice, to communicate information and express pas- 

 sions, such as fear, anger, pleasure, above all, love, that ruler 

 of the rest, which with insect no less than man may be justly 

 denominated the " Soul of Song." 



There is a peculiar sound often heard issuing from a bee- 

 hive previous to its sending forth a swarm, a sharp, clear 

 hum, produced, seemingly, by the vibration of the wings of 

 a single bee. This has been interpreted into an harangue 

 uttered by the young queen, and intended to inspire a portion 

 of the community with courage to go forth, and colonise a 

 new empire. On the conclusion of this inspiriting address, 

 her tone changing to one of supplication, aided even by groans 

 and lamentation, she has been supposed, turning from the 

 people, to address the queen mother of the hive, and, as can- 

 didate for a new throne, entreat her permission to lead the 

 division about to emigrate. This, at least, is the purport of 

 the royal speech, as translated by the ear and pen of Butler, 

 who wrote of music as well as of the " Female Monarchic ; " l 

 of the latter with such marvellous minuteness as to draw a 



1 Female Monarchic of Bees, 1634. 



