334 VARRO ON FARMING [bk. 



In buying bees, the buyer must see whether they 



20 are in good or bad health. Indications of good 

 health are : thick swarms, sleekness, and the smooth- 

 ness ^ and uniformity of the work accomplished. It 

 is significant of ill-health if they look hairy and 

 covered with bristles, dusty* as it were; unless, in- 

 deed, the time of hard work is upon them, for then 

 toil makes them rough and in poor condition. 



21 If you have to move the hives elsewhere, you 

 must do so with care, noting the times to be pre- 

 ferred, and providing suitable places to move them 

 to. For example, spring-time is better than winter, 

 for if moved in winter they do not easily get used 

 to their surroundings, and so generally fly away. 



than the big ; the edges of their wings are frayed and they look 

 black and burnt, while the sleek and bright-looking bees are 

 like idle women." 



^ Leve. Aristotle {loc. cit.) says that roughly fashioned cells 

 are the work either of a " bad bee " or an inexperienced young- 

 ster. 



- Ut pulverulentae. Cf. Vergil, Georg., iv, 95: 



Ut binae regumfacies ita corpora plehis 



Namque aliae turpes horrent; ceu pulvere ah alto 



Cum venit et sicco terram spuit ore viator 



Aridus ; elucent aliae ^ etfulgore coruscant 



Ardentes auro et paribus lita corpora guttis. 



Haec potior soboles. 



It is often difficult to determine whether Vergil is paraphrasing 



Varro or merely using the same sources. As to the passage 



quoted, Columella (ix, 4, 2) states that Vergil followed the 



authority of Aristotle. Columella himself used principally for 



his treatise on bees the writings of Hyginus, Celsus, and 



Vergil, and very often quotes from the last named. 



