ON BEES AND HONEY. 15^ 



Ten or twelve Jays more will replenish the population to such 

 extent, that a second swarm is not unfrequently sent off. A 

 third swarm sometimes succeeds, but is quite undesirable, as it 

 will be rather small, and is too exhausting to the parent stock, 

 exposing it to the attacks of that atrocious enemy of all bees, 

 and pest of all bee-keepers, the bee-moth, (Tinea mellonel- 

 la.) May they sojourn, from this time forth and forever, 

 where the Holy Prophet of the Turks sent " all flies but 

 bees." 



The mother-bee is easily recognized by her long, taper body, 

 short wings and slow gait. In ordinary hives, she is seldom, 

 if ever, seen. Before depositing her eggs, she carefully exam- 

 ines the cell, by putting in her head, and if satisfied, she in- 

 serts the point of the abdomen, exudes an egg which clings 

 to the side and bottom of the cell, by some adhesive substance 

 Avith which it is coated. The cells for the reception of wor- 

 ker-eggs are the common cells of the comb, those for drones 

 are somewhat larger, and those for queen-mothers, larger yet 

 thimble-shaped, and built, mouth downward, upon the edge 

 of the comb. Of worker-eggs, the ciueen deposits, say from 

 twelve to tliirty thousand, of drone eggs from five hundred to two 

 thousand, and of queen eggs not more than five to eight. As new 

 queens are born, if swarming is desired and allowed, one leaves 

 with the swarm, and those that remain, swarming having 

 ceased, are supposed to be destroyed by the strongest remain- 

 ing queen. We say one leaves, not specifying whether it be 

 the old queen or a new born one, as that is a point upon 

 which Apiarians are not agreed, and this is not the place to go 

 upon points of " doubtful disputation." To the queen mother, 

 the bees seem to pay the greatest respect, and to take the most 

 special care to preserve her life and health. She is indeed the 

 life of the hive, and might, as our common mother was called 

 by Adam, be called the Eve of the swarm, "for she is the 

 mother of all living" therein. 



" She lives, and pours through all, the accordant soul ; 

 She die:*, and by her death dissolves the whole." 



The writer of this report has often seen and handled her, 

 and when seen, within the hive, among the bees, he has seen 



