MIGRATIONS OF BEES. 285 



swarm made its way either over the tops of some 

 very high houses, or through several winding streets, 

 to an old house in the centre of Shrewsbury, and 

 passing through an aperture in the wood-work to a 

 room on the first floor, were there hived by the 

 family. In another case, he had permitted a hive, 

 whose tenants had died in the winter, to remain upon 

 the stand till spring, when he observed several bees 

 paying it daily visits, and busily employed within, 

 but leaving it at the close of evening. These, he 

 infers, were the precursors of a swarm which took 

 possession of it in the following June *. 



Reaumur, on the other hand, looks upon these 

 opinions as altogether fabulous ; since, if the bee- 

 queen is thus provided with spies and quarter- 

 masters, he thinks them very ignorant of their 

 duties, at least the choice of a place does but small 

 credit to their foresight, as they for the most part fix 

 upon the bough of a tree, where they are exposed to 

 all the vicissitudes of the weather. Mr. T. A. Knight 

 seems to think, however, that their settling on the 

 branch of a tree is nothing more than a resting-place, 

 where the whole may rendezvous, and that this is 

 previously fixed upon by the scouts as well as the 

 spot intended for their final establishment. But 

 Reaumur mentions a fact which will not at all accord 

 with this, namely, that upon whatever branch or 

 other place they thus alight, combs are always found 

 to be commenced, even though their stay may be 

 very short ; which proves, he thinks, that they in- 

 tended it for a permanent abode. Were they left to 

 themselves, indeed, they would not remain there ; but 

 they would only leave it when, upon trial, they found 

 it inconvenient, from being too hot or too cold, or 

 exposed to rain and windf. 



* The Bees, a Poem ; Notes, 

 j- Memoiresj v. 621, 



