SUPERSTITIONS CONNECTED WITH BEES. 265 



hive put in mourning, they have easily diffused a 

 superstition in which each favouring coincidence 

 would tell widely for its extended belief. * 



In the Norfolk case, narrated in The Bee Journal, 

 several possible explanations suggest themselves. In 

 the first place, if the deceased farmer was an inhabi- 

 tant of the same village as the buyer of his bees, and 

 the hives were removed to a new home near their old 

 one, most of the bees which had previously flown 

 would return to their accustomed spot, and perish, 

 not knowing their way to their changed abode. 

 Then, in the course of a fortnight or three weeks, a 

 good number of freshly-hatched insects would have 

 strengthened the community, and these, naturally, 

 would return with their supplies to the fresh 

 domicile, and soon put matters into a flourishing 

 condition. 



Again, if dull gloomy weather followed the pur- 

 chase of the bees, and was succeeded by brighter 

 days, coincidently with the fastening of the stick and 

 crape to the hives, the improved appearances would, 

 of course, be due to warmer temperature and sunnier 

 hours, without any change in the feelings of the 

 insects from their abode being duly adorned with 

 the emblems of mourning. 



Lastly, the explanation may be simply that, when 

 the stock was bought it was in poor condition, but 

 that in two or three weeks, by the hatching of brood 

 in the natural course of events, a greatly improved 

 condition of affairs had come about. The first of these 

 explanations, however, is probably the correct one. 



One more superstitious custom is said to prevail 

 in Devonshire, viz., at the funeral of a deceased bee 



