ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 207 



and the other to die ! The battle was fierce ana sanguinary. 

 They grappled each other, and, like expert wrestlers, 

 strove to inflict the fatal blow by some sudden or adroit 

 movement. But for some moments the parties seemed 

 equally .matched ; no advantage could be gamed on either 

 side. The bees stood looking calmly on the dreadful 

 affray, as though they themselves had been the heroes of 

 a hundred wars. But the battle, like all others, had its 

 close ; one fell upon the field, and was immediately taken 

 by the workers and carried out of the hive. By this tune, 

 the bees which had swarmed made the discovery that their 

 queen was missing, and although they had been hived 

 without any trouble, came rushing back, but not in season 

 to witness the fatal battle, and the fall of their poor slam 

 queen, who should have gone forth with them to seek a 

 future home.' "* 



The Apiarian has already been reminded of the import- 

 ance of securing straight worker-combs for his stocks. 

 To a stock-hive, such combs are like cash capital to a 

 business man ; and so long as they are fit for use, they 

 should never be destroyed (p. 60) .f Those who have 

 plenty of good worker-comb, will unquestionably find it 

 to their advantage to use it in the place of the artificial 

 guides (PL L, Fig. 2, ?c).J Those who use the guides, 



* " We introduced a queen into a hire," says Hnber, " after painting her thorax, 

 to distinguish her from the reigning queen. A circle of bees formed so closely 

 around the stranger, that in scarcely a minute she lost her liberty. Other workers 

 at the same time collected around the reigning queen, and restrained her motions. 

 * * * They retained their prisoners only when they appeared to withdraw from 

 each other ; and if one, less restrained, seemed desirous of approaching her rival, 

 all the bees forming the clusters gave way, to allow her fall liberty of attack ; then, 

 if they showed a disposition to fly, they returned to inclose them. 11 



t Mr. 8. Wagner has a colony over 21 years old, whose young bees appear to be 

 as large as any others in his Apiary. 



t See Explanation of Plates of Hives, for a description of the various styles of 

 movable frames. 



