HYMBNOPTEEA. 339 



hive sends forth many swarms, the interval between the first and 

 the second is from seven to ten days ; the third and the fourth 

 follow at shorter intervals. But these late casts have rarely 

 vitality enough to exist long. 



A swarm never returns to a hive it has once left. It is sur- 

 prising then that a hive can furnish a second swarm after the 

 interval of a few days, without being too much weakened. But 

 the old queen, in quitting her domain, leaves behind her a con- 

 siderable quantity of eggs. These larvae are not long in re- 

 peopling the hive, so as to furnish a second swarm. The third 

 and the fourth casts weaken the population more perceptibly; 

 but there remain still enough workers to continue operations. In 

 some cases the agitation of the cast is so great as to cause all the 

 bees to quit the hive together, leaving it deserted ; but this deser- 

 tion only lasts an instant, one part of the swarm wisely returning 

 to their home. 



All those which start away become members of the new colony. 

 When the general delirium we have spoken of has taken possession 

 of them, they precipitate themselves together, they pile themselves 

 up all at the same time by the door of the hive, and get so hot as 

 to perspire freely. Those which are in the midst of the melee bear 

 the weight of the whole crowd, and seem bathed in sweat. Their 

 wings become damp, and they are no longer able to fly, and even if 

 they manage to escape, they get no further than the stand, and 

 are not long in re-entering the hive, instead of following the main 

 body of the emigrants. We must not forget that a part of the 

 population, about one-third, is always out at those hours of the 

 day when the swarms take place, engaged in collecting provisions, 

 and having collected the spoil, these workers return to the hive 

 abandoned by the greater part of their companions, and betake 

 themselves to their usual occupations as if nothing had happened. 

 They form the nucleus of the new population, which is soon en- 

 larged by the hatching of the pupse. We have already said that 

 the first swarm is always led by the old queen or mother, and 

 that it starts before the hatching of the young females. If she 

 had not gone out before their birth she would have destroyed 

 them, and the new hive would have been unable to reorganize itself 

 for the want of a chief. 



z 2 



