184 NATURAL HISTORY. 



they kill or thrust them out of the hive, where they 

 perish miserably. 



The queen deposits one egg in every cell ; the little 

 larvae appear soon after, and are carefully tended by the 

 nursing bees ; as soon as fully grown and they pass into 

 the pupa state, these affectionate laborers close up the 

 cell with wax, and when the imago has come forth, which 

 it does slowly, by eating the covering of the cell, they 

 clear away the rubbish. 



The queen bees have a natural animosity against each 

 other : if two are in the same hive at once, a furious 

 combat ensues, which continues until one is vanquished, 

 or the community separate into two parties, each having 

 its queen. But as this double rule can not be tolerated 

 in one hive, one party must emigrate to found a new col- 

 ony 5 this movement is called swarming. This commo- 

 tion always takes place when there is a prospect of a new 

 queen being produced from the maturing chrysalis; the 

 old one seeks a new dwelling-place. Her satellites sally 

 forth first, and having found a suitable spot whereon to 

 found their new realm, the queen, on a fine sunny day, 

 flies out from the hive followed by her faithful adher- 

 ents. The place chosen for settling is usually the branch 

 of a tree, or some other projecting body, where the royal 

 bee alights, and the others cluster around her in a hang- 

 ing mass, resembling a large bunch of grapes. If the 

 queen is removed from among the rest, and placed in a 

 new hive, it is fairly evident that the whole swarm will 

 follow her, making it also their dwelling ; but if the 

 capture is not successful, or the swarm is left unmolested, 

 they follow their queen to a hollow tree or clefted rock, 

 where they construct a new home. When in danger of 

 going off thus, they are frequently made to settle by 



