3 SYMPTOMS PRIOR TO SWARMING. 



passing through an aperture in the wood-work to 

 a room on the first floor, were there hived by the 

 family. MR. BUTLER in his Feminine Monarchic 

 mentions the case of a poor woman whose hive 

 being depopulated by famine was allowed to 

 remain out of doors till the ensuing summer, 

 when a swarm took possession of it, from which 

 she afterwards stored her garden. Other in- 

 stances of a similar kind have been related ; but 

 in most of them it is not easy to ascertain how 

 far the proprietors of the hives, from which the 

 swarms went forth, had been improvident. The 

 cases related by Mr. Knight are the most re- 

 markable ; but with respect to these, further in- 

 formation would be desirable. Was there any 

 inducement beyond a snug housing in the cavities 

 of the trees, to tempt the bees to wander so far 

 from their native spot ? such as favourite pas- 

 turage, or neighbouring trees that were wont to 

 supply honey-dew ? or were there in either of 

 the hollow trees, thus occupied, any old combs 

 which had been left there by another family ? 

 Lastly, were the emigrating bees exposed to any 

 annoyance in their old habitation, either from 

 neighbours of their own species or the attacks 

 of other animals ? or were they deprived of any 

 sheltering protection to which they had been 

 accustomed, by the removal of buildings, the 



