THE BEE MIND 55 



the swarm comes forth, this vacant hive roof, which are not the least good to 



has been long and critically examined them. I have seen it mentioned 



by many bees, apparently explorers, as a sign of the bee's wisdom that 



Yet how seldom is it chosen and the swarm coming forth will often fly 



occupied without the guidance of the several miles away from their old 



bee master ! Instead of going into home as proof that the bee does not 



this hive, ranged and ready for them, wish to overcrowd a neighbourhood, 



the swarm will settle in a cluster But, if so, why, when the swarm is 



on a tree or bush by the river Lam- shaken down in the cool of the evening 



bourne, I found and all but trod on a on a white sheet outside the empty 



swarm in a faggot and will finally hive, do the bees promptly crowd 



establish themselves, if they are not up, with all the music of satisfaction, 



taken charge of, in the roof of a carrying their queen with them, and 



house or the hollow of a tree. take possession ? 



But only introduce them to the bee- No the bee intelligence is strictly 



hive which in vain their explorers circumscribed. What we term " rea- 



have examined, and which they them- soning power " does not seem to exist 



selves have passed a hundred times a among bees. The arrangement, the 



day, and they will joyously run up order of their State is marvellously 



the alighting board, jostle in at the beautiful. The spirit of the hive is 



entrance, and then and there take beyond praise in its devotion, discipline, 



possession of the very spot that they endurance, fiery patriotism. But here 



need for founding their State in. end the virtues of the bee. Compared 



If their intelligence had anything with those qualities her intellect is 



like affinity to human reasoning beneath contempt. Her machinery of 



power, surely the swarm, on emerging mind cannot move outside the deep 



with their queen, would go straight worn grooves of habit, which I suppose 



into that empty hive with its hanging were slowly made geologically slow 



row of bar-frames, each supporting in the unreckoned thousands (or should 



a sheet of wax ready to work out it be millions ?) of years of her un- 



into cells. Instead, the bees will waste known history for one cannot doubt 



a precious day or more at the height that this is one of the most ancient 



of the honey flow, examining, re-exam- civilizations in the world to-day it 



ining, some crevices about a wall or may even be the most ancient. 



