194 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Jan. 7, 1S3I. 



see an apparently healthy bee dragged out of the 

 hive, dead occasionally ? Are they put to death for 

 refractory conduct ? 



2. Government. — Notwithstanding an extraordi- 

 nary attention to the construction of the glass, 

 which magnifies the bees considerably where it is 

 most convex, I never have discovered the least 

 clue to the mode of government. A peculiar noise 

 like the sinjjing of a cricket, is sometimes heard, 

 deep in the centre of the hive, but there are no 

 indications of particular attention, on the part of 

 the bee. Is this made by the Queen .' On the 

 \yhole, I liave concluded that it must be by a young 

 one, freeing itself from the cell and trying its wings. 

 That there is a peculiar discipline, is beyond all 

 manner of doubt. Certain it is, that those that 

 gather honey, after they have deposited, are not 

 allowed to taste it. — On a rainy day, when all were 

 at home, I often observed them travelling over the 

 pots, looking at one, feeling the depth of another, 

 &c, but the moment they thrust their proboscis 

 towards the honey, as though they were about 

 tasting it, they are oftener driven away, by an in- 

 visible something, before succeeding, than other- 

 wise. There are watchmen everywhere, anil this 

 I infer from marking them : — finding them a long 

 time near one spot, unengaged, and occasionally 

 sipping the honey fearlessly, as they go their rounds. 

 In the warm season, there has always been a sentry, 

 but more commonly four, at the entrance of the 

 hive. Their heads are inward, while their wings, 

 in the most rapid motion, seem to imply that those 

 inside know they are securely guarded, as long as the 

 humming continues. When they have been forced 

 from their position, many make their appearance ; 

 and I have seen them run over the whole front, as 

 though anxious to ascertain the difficulty. As the 

 cold weather approaches, the guard disappears, as 

 insects and other enemies, attracted by the odor 

 of the honey, are no longer feared. I think the 

 government generally, and certainly all special 

 commands, are first made an<l propagated by the 

 appropriate officers, by striking the horny tip of 

 the tail on the hive or comb — so that a tremor, 

 diffiirently modified, gives a general as well as 

 instantaneous information, which every bee not 

 only perfectly understands, but quietly obeys. 



3. Contrivance. — A very large spider got within 

 the glass hell, just as the mound had been com- 

 menced. The bees left their work to pursue the 

 common enemy, but did not overtake him, as ho 

 succeeded in climbing up the glass much better than 

 they. Having made, en masse, a thousand at- 

 tempts, but falling back before reaching the in- 

 truder, they turned their attention to raising a pi 

 lar by which they might reach him. In two days 

 the column of small diameter, was six inches high, 

 so that they could step lo the bar before mentioned 

 suspended from the centre. Mounting this in 

 astonishing numbers, he was forced to take to 

 the glass again. Being within two inches, though 

 losing their foot-hold and falling to the bottom, 

 constantly, their progress was such as to alarm 

 the spider exceedingly. I watched the approaching 

 conflict with intense interest ; when lo ! the spi- 

 der eased himself down on a cord, of his own 

 manufacturing, just as the bees were on tlie point 

 of seizing him. Thus, securely suspended mid- 

 way, betwixt the central pillar and the side of the 

 glass on a single thread, perhaps a foot in length, 

 I was obliged to leave him. On the following day, 

 the spider still kept at the end of the rope. 



to get at him. I wondered they did not fly at him, who have gained such distinction in the world, bj 

 03 there was room enough to use their wings, unfolding the jjolitical condition of a bee hive, I 

 To my regret, in the course of that day, the spider should say the cpieen was an imaginary despot, 

 was missing, and probably despatched in torture. ' I am unwilling at present, to communicate mj 



Turning an arch of wax like an oven over an theory, lest it should be incorrect, 

 enemy, and removing the offender, whenever 7. The Young. — From a series of examinations, 1 

 dead, is resorted to occasionally. am led to suppose that an egg is deposited in everj 



4. Disgorging Honey.— \x is generally admitted I cell of honey, throughout the hive ; how or why i' 

 I believe, that the bee swallows the honey, and \ begins to increase in size, excepting it be by the in 

 that it is disgorged into the pot, by some kind of, creased temperature of the air, I will not pretenc 

 effort. Probably by being mixed with the pecu- j to say. That the temperature varies, is wel 

 liar secretion of the organ, the quality, if not the I known : in some of the coldest days in March ant 

 quantity of the honey is changed. In fact, this, April last, the mercury would rise to summe 

 must be the case, as direct experiment shows, i heat. It is soon known, when the maggot requirei 

 by feeding a hive on West India honey. A single [ material attention. About the last of .lune, sue 

 bee, might carry from the mouth to the interior , broad sheets of comb, having a maggot, just die 

 two or three te.aspoonfuls in a day. Three large ' cernible, at the bottom, were so conspicuous, th& 

 coffee saucers have been repeatedly conveyed into ' I used to importune gentlemen to witness the pro 

 the hive in six hours. This very day, (August 3) cess of feeding them. The bee extended its pro 

 by way of ascertaining a point, a tumbler of honey hoscis quite deep, till, as nearly as could h 



spread on a plate by only a small part of the whole 

 swarm was taken in two hours. 



The contrivance by which the process of di.s- 

 gorging is effected is so sim|)le, and withal so ad- 



ascertained, the brush, charged, probably with it 

 appropriate nourishment, touched its mouth 

 slight motion, observable in the worm, was take 

 to be the evidence of its feeding. The cells, tot 



mirable, th.it it must interest the students ol nature. I were kept most perfectly clean ; we judged the 

 Independentofmuscularaction, a complete collapse j were fed about once in twenty four hours 

 of the sack, takes pla'ce— by a pressure, beginning • the 25th of July, past, they were generally fu 

 at the fundus, and gradually propagated towards 

 the oesophagus or swallovvf, this is accom])lished 

 by a series of air bags, of irregular shapes, surround- 

 ing the reservoir. When the bee desires to deposit 

 the honey, by elevating the wings, and commencing 

 a vermicular motion, that is, a to and fro working 

 of the rings of the body, the air enters the spirac- 

 ula, distends the air cells, and thusetTectually forces 

 the reservoir. I have procured a variety of those 

 air bags on a scale of two feet, that their shape 

 might be seen and their function understood. 



5. Food. — My experience leads me to suppose 

 that the bee can extract honey from almost any 

 flowers with impunitj'. An abundance of stramoni- 

 um grows on this island, which it would be a task to 

 destroy, and on which they undoubtedly feed. I 

 am not conscious that the quality of the honey is 

 injured in the least ; all my attempts to feed them 

 on buckwheat flowers have failed : perhaps the 

 salt spray injures the blossoms for their use. Catnip 

 blossoms they delight in : currant blossoms and 

 the flower of a large kind of bean, called by the 

 gardener, English, coflfee or Windsor bean, are 



own, anil by degrees, emerged from their bir 

 place to mingle with the others. 



8. Drones. — I scarcely know what answer ' 

 give to your question relative to the drones, 

 have never witnessed a general massacre : thou 

 cruel executions, where two or three are forcit 

 from the hives at a time, and stung till they dl 

 have been noticed repeatedly. How do you 

 plain the following account ? — Just as the you 

 ones had arrived to a size, that completely fill 

 the cell, they were killed by lumdred.s. Perli£,i. 

 a gill, large, white and plump, with folded winr^ 

 were drawn out on the lighting board, in oi 

 night, last week. This morning, I discovet'l 

 about thirty more, and perhaps a pint may h8' 

 been drojjped in the vicinity. Just as they h; 

 attained a growth which required the unceafli 

 care of their nurses, they have been slain witb( 

 mercy. Are these young drones.' I have 

 cied they were. 



9. The .Moth. — About two hours before yO" 

 letter was brought, while examining the moatbk 

 the hive, a bee-moth lighted on the edge oil 

 plate, where the bees had been feeding. It )j 



m 





|l 



though the bees were trying by a variety of schemes jutely rude towards those learned entomologists 



wondering, I suppose, how the conflict cou 

 terest me, killed the moth with a stone, 

 em|)ty long neck bottle, with a little honey att 

 bottom, placed close to the hive, at night, wl 

 the bees are v/ithin door, is a capital trap. Thou 

 bottles fidl may be so taken, their number see 

 undiminished. I am inclined to suspect lhco( 

 of the honey collects them, and that they cam 

 injure the bee in any other way than by steal! 

 his goods, or occasionally dropping an egg n 

 honey cell. Uncommonly large worms are 8or 

 times dragged out, dead, — which we have 8i 

 posed to be the moth, — killed as soon as its tl 

 character is developed. 



I was much interested in your work on be« 

 loaned me by my friend Mr Porter, Editoi 

 the American Traveller. , 



sought for with avidity. From the dandelion 



they collect, at this place, the princijial part of , chased one side repeatedly, but not taking the 

 the material for comb. From the cedar posts, a bee finally seized it by the head and fell wi 

 they seem to procure something, of material con- to the ground. It was stung repeatedly; I 

 sequence. The sunflower probably yields a quan- when the bee left it, though alive, it appeSUlL i 

 tity of the yellow dust with which we see them i badly injured. A little servant girl standing.'' 

 load their thighs. Being rather coarse, they do 

 not seek it, if other flowers abound. 



Were I a farmer, I should certainly cultivate a 

 field of catnip solely forthebees, fully believing it 

 gives off"in a warm sununer, a good deal of sac- 

 charine matter, besides imparting a delightful 

 flavor to that with which it is mixed. 



6. The Qufere. — I am in doubt what to say of 

 the Queen : perhaps I may have been deceived in 

 supposing her before me; and on the other hand 

 she might have gone in state, without my know- 

 ledge. Notwithstanding all that writers say of 

 the Queen, I am beginning to he sceptical ; in fact 

 I am much disposed to question the existence of 

 such a ruler. My hive must have exhibited her 

 were she among her subjects. Were it not abso 



