Instinct of Bees. 40,3 



instance, speaking of the way they defend the entrances to 

 their hive, says : " The works which the bees had established 

 were of various formations ; some resembled the bastions of 

 our citadel's gateway, marked by walls in front, opening on 

 the face of those of the second row, while they did not cor- 

 respond with the apertures of the first row ; in a third, a series 

 of intersecting arcades permitted free egress to the bees, which 

 prevented the entrance of their enemies." He further observes, 

 that tc a period arrives when these galleries are no longer of use 

 to the bees. At the time that their harvest is abundant, their 

 hive excessively populous, they demolish the gateways which 

 had been erected in the hour of danger." 



Although this comes from one who is sometimes styled the 

 prince of bee-keepers, and may seem very plausible, I have 

 little hesitation in saying it is founded on false premises. I con- 

 sider that the barricading referred to is not erected by the bees 

 with any view of defence ; in truth, they do not erect it at all, but 

 it is merely raised by a bit of their combs, or some of the 

 materials used in their formation, dropping close to their door- 

 way : the passages cut through by the bees makes it to differ in 

 appearance from that which happens to fall on other parts of the 

 floor. 



Bees certainly possess great instinct and courage in defending 

 the entrance to their hive, but I never knew an instance of then- 

 trying to reduce it ; on the contrary, for example, when their en- 

 trance has been reduced with a view of keeping out intruders, espe- 

 cially wasps, the inmates often endeavour to enlarge it ; in doing 

 so they use great force, more than one might be led to think they 

 possessed. It may be worthy of remark, that, though much has 

 been said on the industry of the honey-bee, its industry falls 

 short when compared with that of the wasp. The latter, from 

 the time it begins its nest alone, toils from morning till late in 

 the evening. As the progeny come forth, they do the same also; 

 nay, during the latter part of summer they work night and day, 

 and the egress and ingress to and from their nest at times surpass 

 those of a colony of bees whose numbers are infinitely greater. In 

 cold weather the more tender habits of bees may account for this, 

 but not for their lack of industry, and loitering at the entrance 

 of their hive, at times when wasps are searching for food to rear 

 their brood in every hole and corner. The idleness referred to 

 arises, in a great degree, from the way in which bees increase 

 fresh colonies ; that is, it frequently happens, especially before 

 the first swarm leaves the parent stock, that a great part of the 

 bees cease working, though the weather be warm, as previously 

 noticed, as if unwilling to add store to a home they are about to 

 quit. The great industry of a fresh colony of bees bears out this 

 assertion. It may be asked, what causes the irregular idleness 



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