BOOK IX. VIII. I2-IX. I 



fountain. There are some people who during the 13 

 early spring collect wild parsley and, in the words of 

 the great poet, 



Bruised balm and wax-flower's lowly greenery," 



and other similar herbs in which this kind of creatures 

 takes delight, and rub the hives thoroughly with 

 them, so that the scent and juice stick to them; 

 then, after cleaning them, they sprinkle them with 

 a little honey and place them here and there in the 

 woods not far from the springs and, when they are 

 full of swarms, they carry them back home. It is 14 

 not, however, expedient to do this except in places 

 where there is an abundance of bees, because it often 

 happens that chance passers-by, finding the hives 

 empty, carry them off with them, nor is the possession 

 cf one or two full of bees enough to compensate for 

 the loss of several empty hives. But where bees are 

 more plentiful, even if many hives are carried off, 

 their loss is made up by the bees which are obtained. 

 Such is the method of catching wild swarms of bees. 



IX. Next there is another method of retaining the The treat- 

 swarms produced from our own apiaries. The bred in the^^ 

 keeper ought always diligently to go round the hives, ^^P*' 

 for there is no time when they do not need his care 

 but they demand still more careful attention when 

 the bees feel the approach of spring and the hives 

 overflow with new offspring, which, unless they are 

 promptly intercepted by the constant watchfulness 

 of the keeper, fly off in different directions. For such 

 is the nature of bees that each brood of ordinary bees 

 is generated together with its king and, when they 

 have acquired enough strength to fly away, they 

 despise the society of their elders and even more the 



459 



apiary. 



