606 Qiieen Bee of the first Swarm. 



the silence is so easily accounted for, that it appears strange the 

 inference should have been overlooked by the most able apiarians, 

 especially Huber, who was well acquainted with the train of 

 facts that led to it. It is clear that the old queen is impelled by 

 instinct to quit the hive with the first swarm, a few days before 

 the young queens are hatched ; and consequently before any 

 rival appears in the field to dispute her sovereignty. This is 

 not the case with her successors ; the first who is hatched, and 

 from whom the stronger sound of " peep, peep," proceeds, makes 

 her appearance before her rivals, who are still in their cells, 

 nevertheless sufficiently forced to utter the weaker call of " off, 

 off," so interpreted in Norfolk amongst old bee-keepers, as 

 conveying the true meaning of the cry ; though, perhaps, some 

 would be inclined to apply the old rhyme to it : — 



" As the fool thinks 

 So the bell clinks." 



The newly hatched queen, however, upon hearing it, attacks 

 the cells containing her rivals, as confirmed by the able authority 

 of Dr. Dunbar (p. 149.). 



Many apiarians dispute this view of the case. There are 

 instances of calling being heard before the first swarm. Keys, 

 I think, says that if such piping is heard, the apiarian may con- 

 sole himself as he best can, for he has lost his first swarm. 

 Such a very rare occurrence (for rare it undoubtedly is) 

 may, however, be accounted for in two ways : either some acci- 

 dent has happened to the old queen, or stormy weather has 

 delayed the coming off of the first swarm, till the young queens 

 have commenced their piping. 



I am obliged to your two correspondents for their notices on 

 my article, especially to Dr. Dunbar for his able account of the 

 calling of queens. He has quite satisfied my doubts on that 

 head ; nevertheless, I must be allowed to point out some incon- 

 gruities in his manner of stating certain points in his subject, 

 as well as some very doubtful quotations from Huber. He 

 states that the queen, in the after-swarms, /tearing her rivals in 

 their cells, attacks them ; some of the bees prevent her efforts, 

 and she in a rage goes off, taking a part of the bees with her. 

 By this it appears that she leaves the hive before any of her 

 rivals have come forth, which certainly is not the case, as there 

 are frequently several queens in an after-swarm. The truth is, 

 such a swarm does not come off till some queens have left their 

 cells, when there is a general uproar in the hive, and the lady 

 paramount, assisted by her subjects, destroys both those who do 

 not quit the hive, and those who mingle with the swarm on its 

 exit. It is probable that some queens are still left unhatched ; 

 for if the time be ever so short between the second, third, and 



