THE BEE. 517 



then remains to be adopted, is, to divide ; and in an in- 

 ftant, a i«rge colony prepares to abandon for ever the 

 place of their nativity, and to follow a young queen ia, 

 forming a new eltablifhment for themfelves. 



It is not merely the number of bees in a hive that de- 

 termines them to fwarm ; that event depends on the 

 young female, who mufl not only be fufficiently ftrong to 

 lead the colony, but mufl alfo be impregnated ; for upon 

 that circumftance depends the whole hopes of the future 

 progeny : But no fooner do all thefe predifpofing circum- 

 ilances concur in a hive, than it prepares immediately 

 for colonifation. In the evening before that eventful 

 period, indication of their intentions is given, by an un- 

 ufual noife and hurry within the hive. All the morning 

 of next day palTes without hardly a fmgle bee going to 

 colle£l honey. Thofe who are to leave the hive are pre- 

 paring to take their departure; while thofe that remain 

 behind defer their operations, till their companions, bj 

 their leaving them, have afforded fuSicient room. 



It is in the great enterprife of colonifation that the in- 

 fluence of the queen bee is mofl clearly feen ; Wherever 

 file alights, there the whole fwarm take up their abode, 

 and all cling around her body. If fhe is removed, they 

 all fly in queft of her : if put into a hive where fhe has 

 not been placed, they either forfake it or die. Hence 

 the art of thofe perfons is explained, who go about (hew- 

 ing bees, making them alight on different parts of their 

 body, and follow them for any length of time. They 

 have pofllffion of the queen bee ; and by that means can 

 influence all their movements. 



When a fwarm thus migrates from the parent hive, it 

 frequently happens that more than one female accompa- 

 nies 



