BEB. 423 



question that cannot easily be determined, whether this old stock 

 sends off entirely young of the same season, and whether the whole 

 of their young ones, or only part. As the males are entirely bred 

 in the same season, part go off ; but part must stay, and most pro- 

 bably it is so with the others. They commonly come off in the 

 heat of the day, often immediately after a shower ; who takes the 

 lead I do not know, but should suppose it was the queen. When 

 one gos off, they all immediately follow, and fly about seemingly 

 in great confusion, although there is one principle actuating the 

 whole. They soon appear to be directed to some fixed place ; 

 such as the branch of a tree or bush, the cavities of old trees,, holes 

 of houses leading info some hollow places; and whenever thestand 

 is made, they all immediately repair to it, till they are all col- 

 lected. But it would seem, in some cases, that they had not fixed 

 upon any resting place before they came off; or if thej had, that 

 they were either disturbed, if it was near, or that it was at a great 

 distance ; for, after hovering some time, as if undetermined, they 

 fly away, mount up into the air, and go off with great velocity. 

 When they have fixed upon their future habitation, they immedi- 

 ately begin to make their combs, for they have the materials within 

 themselves. I have reason to believe that they fill their crops 

 with honey when they come away ; probably from the stock in the 

 hive. I killed several of these that came away, and found their 

 crops full, while those that remained in the hive had their crops not 

 near so full : some of them came away with farina on their legs, 

 which I conceive to be rather accidental. I may just observe 

 here, that a hive commonly sends off two, sometimes three swarms 

 in a summer ; but that the second is commonly less than the first, 

 and the third less than the second ; and this last has seldom time 

 to provide for the winter : they shall often threaten to swarm, but 

 do not ; whether the threatening is owing to too many bees, and 

 their not swarming is owing to there being no queen, I do not 

 know. It sometimes happens that the swarm shall go back again; 

 but in such instances I have reason to think that they have lost 

 their queen, for the hives to which the swarm have come back do 

 not swarm the next warm day, but shall hang out for a fortnight* 

 or more, and then swarm ; and when they do, the swarm is com- 

 monly much larger than before, which makes me suspect that the 

 waited for the queen that was to go off with the next swarm. 



2*4 



