HIVING OF SWARMS. 141 



swarm ascertained the loss of their queen, and 

 instead of clustering together in one social mass, 

 they diffused themselves over a space of several 

 feet, were much agitated, and uttered a piteous 

 sound. An hour afterwards they all took flight, 

 and settled upon the hedge where they had first 

 alighted, after leaving the parent stock ; but in- 

 stead of hanging together, like a bunch of grapes, 

 as when the queen was with them, and as swarms 

 usually hang, they extended themselves thirty 

 feet along the hedge, in small bunches, of forty, 

 fifty, or more. The queen was now presented to 

 them, when they all quickly gathered round her, 

 with a joyful hum, and formed one harmonious 

 cluster. At night the Doctor hived them again, 

 and on the following morning repeated his experi- 

 ment, to see whether the bees would rise ; the 

 queen being in a mutilated state, and unable to 

 accompany them, they surrounded her for several 

 hours, apparently willing to die with her rather 

 than desert her in distress. The queen was a 

 second time removed, when they spread them- 

 selves out again, as though searching for her : her 

 repeated restoration to them, at different parts of 

 their circle, produced one uniform result, " and 

 these poor loyal and loving creatures, always 

 marched and counter-marched every way as the 

 queen was laid." The Doctor persevered in these 

 experiments, till after five days and nights of fast- 



