122 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 



begun. If, during this period, these notes are not heard, 

 it is an infallible indication that the first hatched queen 

 has no rivals ; and that swarming, in that stock, is over 

 for the season. 



The second swarm usually issues on the second or third 

 day after piping is heard ; though they sometimes delay 

 coming out until the fifth day, in consequence of an un- 

 favorable state of the weather. Occasionally, the weather 

 is so extremely unfavorable, that the bees permit the 

 oldest queen to kill the others, and refuse to swarm again. 

 This is a rare occurrence, as young queens are not so par- 

 ticular about the weather as old ones, and sometimes ven- 

 ture out, not merely when it is cloudy, but when rain is 

 falling. On this account, if a very close watch is not 

 kept, they are often lost. As piping ordinarily commences 

 about a week after first-swarming, the second swarm usu- 

 ally issues nine days after the first ; although it has been 

 known to issue as early as the third, and as late as the 

 seventeenth ; but such cases are very rare. 



It frequently happens in the agitation of swarming, that 

 the usual guard over the queen-cells is withdrawn, and sev- 

 eral hatch at the same time, and accompany the colony ; in 

 which case, the bees often alight in two or more separate 

 clusters. In my observing-hives, I have repeatedly seen 

 young queens thrust out their tongues from a hole in their 

 cell, tq be fed by the bees. If allowed to issue at will, 

 they are pale and weak, like other young bees, and for 

 some time unable to fly ; but if confined the usual time, 

 they come forth fully colored, and ready for all emergencies. 

 I have seen them issue in this state, while the excitement 

 caused by removing the combs from a hive, has driven the 

 guard from their cells. 



The following remarkable instance came under my ob- 

 servation, in Matamoras, Mexico. A second swarm de- 



