140 HIVING OF SWARMS. 



woman who hived them, received above thirty 

 stings. If the weather be windy, at the time of 

 swarming, they are often irritable, and apt to 

 sting ; though clustered, they will frequently re- 

 turn home : this last occurrence is generally 

 caused by the absence of a queen ; but it may 

 also be produced by a sudden shower, or by the 

 transit of a dark cloud. 



A queen has sometimes a defect in her wings, 

 or is disabled by some accident ; either of these 

 misfortunes may cause the return of a swarm, or 

 produce symptoms of discontent after hiving. 



As many persons doubt the queen's importance 

 to the harmonious union of a swarm, I shall give 

 an instance or two, to show how essentially neces- 

 sary her presence is to produce this effect. DR. 

 WARDER being desirous of ascertaining the extent 

 of the bees' " loyalty to their sovereign, ran the 

 hazard of destroying a swarm, for this purpose." 

 Having shaken on the grass, all the bees from a 

 hive which they had only tenanted the day before, 

 he searched for the queen, by stirring amongst 

 them with a stick. Having found and placed her, 

 with a few attendants, in a box, she was taken 

 into his parlour ; where the box being opened, she 

 and her attendants immediately flew to the window, 

 when he clipped off one of her wings, returned 

 her to the box, and confined her there for above 

 an hour. In less than a quarter of an hour, the 



