350 ON THE ECONOMY OF BEES. 



trees, the cavities of which were frequently occupied by swarms of bees ; 

 and when these were destroyed, a board was generally fitted to the 

 aperture which had been made to extract the honey ; and the cavity was 

 thus prepared for the reception of another swarm in the succeeding 

 season. Whenever a swarm came, I constantly observed that, about 

 fourteen days previous to their arrival, a small number of bees, varying 

 from twenty to fifty, were every day employed in examining and appa- 

 rently in keeping possession of the cavity ; for if molested, they showed 

 evident signs of displeasure, though they never employed their stings in 

 defending their proposed habitation. Their examination was not confined 

 to the cavity, but extended to the external parts of the tree above ; and 

 every dead knot particularly arrested their attention, as if they had been 

 apprehensive of being injured by moisture which this might admit into 

 the cavity below ; and they apparently did not leave any part of the bark 

 near the cavity unexamined. A part of the colony which purposed to 

 emigrate appeared in this case to have been delegated to search for a 

 proper habitation ; and the individual who succeeded must have apparently 

 had some means of conveying information of his success to others ; for it 

 cannot be supposed that fifty bees should each accidentally meet at and 

 fix upon the same cavity, at a mile distant from their hive ; which I have 

 frequently observed them to do in a wood where several trees were 

 adapted for their reception ; and indeed I observed that they almost 

 uniformly selected that cavity which I thought best adapted to their use. 



It not unfrequently happened that swarms of my own bees took 

 possession of these cavities, and such swarms were in several instances 

 followed from my garden to the trees ; and they were observed to deviate 

 very little from the direct line between the one point and the other ; 

 which seems to indicate that those bees which had formerly acted as 

 purveyors now became guides. 



Two instances came under my own observation in which a swarm was 

 received into a cavity of which another swarm had previous possession. 

 In the first instance I arrived with the swarm, and I could not discover 

 that the least opposition was made to their entrance : in the second 

 instance, observing the direction that the swarm took, I used all the 

 expedition I could to arrive first at the tree to which I supposed they 

 were going, whilst a servant followed them ; and a descent of ground 

 being in my favour, and the wind against them, I succeeded in arriving 

 at the tree some seconds before them ; and I am perfectly confident that 

 not the least resistance was opposed to their entrance. 



Now it does not appear probable that animals so much attached to 



