116 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 



as they can. Numerous experiments to compel bees to 

 work in observing-hives exposed to the full light of day, 

 from the moment they were hived, instead of keeping 

 them, as I now do, in darkness for several days, have' 

 made me quite familiar with all such do-nothing pro- 

 ceedings before their departure. 



Bees sometimes abandon their hives very early in 

 Spring, or late in Summer or Fall. Although exhibiting 

 the appearance of natural swarming, they leave, not be- 

 cause the population is so crowded that they wish to 

 form new colonies, but because it is either so small, or the 

 hive so destitute, of supplies, that they are driven to des- 

 peration. Seeming to have a presentiment that they must 

 perish if they stay, instead of awaiting the sure approach 

 of famine, they sally out to see if they cannot better their 

 condition. I have known a starving colony to leave their 

 hive on a Spring-like day in December. 



It may seem strange that the instincts of so provident 

 an insect should not always impel it to select a suitable 

 domicile before venturing to abandon the old home ; since 

 often, before they are housed again, they are exposed to 

 powerful winds and drenching rains, which beat down 

 and destroy many of their number. 



I solve this bee-problem, like many others, by consider- 

 ing how the present arrangement conduces to the advan- 

 tage of man. 



Bees would have been of little service to him, if, instead 

 of tarrying till he had time to hive them, their instincts 

 had impelled them to decamp, without delay, from the 

 restraints of domestication. In this, as in many other 

 things, we see that what on a superficial view seemed au 

 obvious imperfection, proves, on closer examination, to be 

 a special contrivance to answer important ends. 



To return to our new swarm. The queen sometimes 



