330 INSECT MISCELLANIES, 



despatching her, instant victory is the consequence ; 

 for the assaulted bees always desist and join the 

 victors, the moment they are apprised of their queen's 

 death, become as one fraternity, and assist to carry 

 their own treasure to their new habitation. But in case 

 the queen is protected, they fight on with rage and fury, 

 and death and pillage soon destroy the stock *." 



Mouffet's account is somewhat different. " Theeves," 

 he says, "being naturally odious to the bees, steal 

 upon their labours when they are absent, wasting 

 and spoyling their provision of honey. Yea, they do 

 so glut themselves in the meanwhile, that they are 

 not able many times to get out again, they are so full, 

 or to stand in their own defence ; whereupon the bees, 

 at their return, without any more adoe, severely 

 punish them, and according to their just demerits, 

 kill them outright." Again he says, " the bees have 

 watchmen which observe at night when they come 

 home, and they defend and secure them from the 

 theeves, and if they spie a thief come in they set 

 upon him and beat him, throw him out of doors, and 

 there leave him for dead, or half dead at least ; for 

 so it happens, that the thief having filled himself 

 with honey is not able to fly away, but tumbles up 

 and down at the door of the hive, till they that goe 

 out finde him, and having branded him with igno- 

 miny and scorn, deprive him of his lifef." Keys 

 says, that when a hive does not appoint watch-bees, 

 nor show resentment upon the intrusion of robbers, 

 it is a sure sign of their weakness J. 



Sometimes, it is reported, small parties of three 

 or four will unite to rob, as we may say, on the 

 highway. These waylay straggling individuals, or 

 a humble-bee (Bombus) as it returns to its hive 

 loaded with honey. The robbers then make their 



* Keys's Treatise, p. 174; ed. 1814. 

 | Theatre of Insects, p. 921. J Keys, p. 175. 



