AN IDYL OF THE HONEY-BEE. 47 



Apparently, every swarm of bees before it leaves 

 the parent hive sends out exploring parties to look- 

 up the future home. The woods and groves are 

 searched through and through, and no doubt the pri- 

 vacy of many a squirrel and many a wood mouse ia 

 intruded upon. What cozy nooks and retreats they 

 do spy out, so much more attractive than the painted 

 hive in the garden, so much cooler in summer and 

 so much warmer in winter ! 



The bee is in the main an honest citizen ; she pre- 

 fers legitimate to illegitimate business ; she is never 

 an outlaw until her proper sources of supply fail ; 

 she will not touch honey as long as honey-yielding 

 flowers can be found ; she always prefers to go to 

 the fountain-head, and dislikes to take her sweets at 

 second hand. But in the fall, after the flowers have 

 failed, she can be tempted. The bee-hunter takes 

 advantage of this fact; he betrays her with a little 

 honey. He wants to steal her stores, and he first 

 encourages her to steal his, then follows the thief homo 

 with her booty. This is the whole trick of the bee- 

 hunter. The bees never suspect his game, else by tak- 

 ing a circuitous route they could easily baffle him. 

 But the honey-bee has absolutely no wit or cunning out- 

 side of her special gifts as a gatherer and storer o$ 

 honey. She is a simple-minded creature, and can be 

 imposed upon by any novice. Yet it is not every nov« 

 ice that can find a bee-tree. The sportsman may track 

 his game to its retreat by the aid of his dog, but in 

 hunting the honey-bee one must be his own dog, and 

 track his game through an element m which it leaves 

 no trail. It is a task for a sharp, quick eye, and may 

 test the resources of the best wood-craft. One autumn 

 when I devoted much time to this pursuit, as the best 



