INSECTA — BEE. 851 



these is different. They have in each cell a thicker substance, which is placed 

 over the honey to prevent its running out of the cell ; and that substance is 

 raised gradually as the cell is filled, till the bees, finding that the cell cannot 

 contain any more, close it with a covering of wax, not to be opened till 

 times of want, during the winter. 



When a hive is become too much crowded by the addition of the young 

 brood, a part of the bees think of finding themselves a more commodious 

 habitation, and with that view single out tlie most forward of the young 

 queens. A new swarm is, therefore, constantly composed of one queen at 

 least, and of several thousand working bees, as well as of some hundreds of 

 drones. The working bees are some old, some young. Scarce has the 

 colony arrived at its new habitation, when the working bees labor with the 

 utmost diligence to procure materials for food and building. Their principal 

 aim is not only to have cells in which to deposit their honey, but a stronger 

 motive seems to animate them ; they seem to know that their queen is in 

 haste to lay her eggs. Their industry is such, that in twenty-four hours 

 they will have made combs twenty inches long, and wide in proportion. 

 They make more wax, during the first fortnight, if the season is favorable, 

 than they do during all the rest of the year. Other bees are at the same time 

 busy in stopping all the holes and crevices they find in the new hive, in order to 

 guard against the entrance of insects which covet their honey, their wax or 

 themselves; and also to exclude the cold air; for it is indispensably neces- 

 sary that they be lodged warm. When the bees first settle in swarming; 

 indeed, when they at any time rest themselves, there is something very par- 

 ticular in the method of taking their repose. It is done by collecting them- 

 selves in a heap, and hanging to each other by their feet. They sometimes 

 extend these heaps to a considerable length. It would seem probable to us, 

 that the bees from which the others hang must have a considerable weight 

 suspended to them. All that can be said is, that the bees must find this to 

 be a situation agreeable to themselves. They, perhaps, have a method of 

 distending themselves with the air, thereby to lessen their specific gravity ; 

 as fishes do, to alter their gravity compared with water. When a swarm 

 divides into two or more bands, which settle separately, this division is a 

 sure sign that there are two or more queens among them. One of these 

 clusters is generally larger than the other. The bees of the smaller cluster, 

 or clusters, detach themselves by little and little, till at last the whole, to- 

 gether with the queen, or queens, unite with the larger cluster. As soon as 

 the bees are settled, the supernumerary queen or queens must be sacrificed 

 to the peace and tranquillity of the hive. This execution generally raises a 

 considerable commotion in the hive ; and several other bees, as well as the 

 queen or queens, lose their lives. Their bodies may be observed on the 

 ground near the hive. The queen that is chosen is of a more reddish color 

 than those which are destroyed; so that fruitfulness seems to be a great mo- 



