BOOK XI. XVII. 52-xviii. 55 



buried beneath the htter of antiquity ! Here on a 

 trifling matter connected with our own country- 

 hoiises, a thing constantly in evidence, there is no 

 agreement among the authorities — the question 

 whether the king bee alone has no sting and is 

 armed only with the grandeur of his office, or whether 

 nature has indeed bestowed one upon him but has 

 merely denied him the use of it. It is a well 

 estabUshed fact that the ruler does not use a sting. 

 The commons surround him with a marvellous 

 obedience. When he goes in procession, the whole 

 swarm accompanies him and is massed around him 

 to encircle and protect him, not allowing him to be 

 seen. During the rest of the time, while the people 

 are engaged in labour, he himself goes the circuit 

 of the works inside, with the appearance of 

 urging them 011, while he alone is free from duty. 

 He is surrounded by certain retainers and Uctors as 

 the constant guardians of his authority. He only 

 issues abroad when the swarm is about to migrate ; 

 intelligence of this is given long before, as a buzzing 

 noise has been going on for some days in the hive, a 

 sign of their preparation while they are selecting a 

 suitable day, If anybody should cut oif one of his 

 wings, the swarm would not run away. When they 

 have started. each one wants to be next him and 

 dehghts to be seen on duty; when he is tired they 

 support him with their shoulders, and carry him 

 entirely if he is more completely exhausted. Any 

 bee that falls out from weariness or happens to stray 

 from the main body, foUows on by scent. Wherever 

 the king ahghts is the camping place of the whole 

 body. 



XVIII. Moreover they supply private and pubHc 



465 



