2758 Insects. 



not be British species ; but I think it will prove to be so 'only in cases where no lo- 

 cality is given, and no doubt such have by accident been placed there. — Frederick 

 Smith ; 11, Constitution Row, Gray's Inn Road, February, 1850. 



Do Bees always select a Residence prior to Swarming P — In the ' Zoologist ' for 

 November (Zool. 2613) is a note from Mr. Green, intended to show that bees do not 

 always select a residence prior to swarming. As applied to after-swarms there can be 

 no doubt of this : indeed if there be any doubt upon the subject, it is whether such 

 swarms ever select a residence ; but as respects prime swarms, I have as little doubt 

 that they do generally, if not uniformly, make such a selection. The late T. A. 

 Knight, Esq., devoted much time, in several successive years, to ascertain this point, 

 and felt assured that prime swarms invariably selected their future residence ; and 

 this opinion is quite in accordance with my own experience. Whether the providence 

 shown by prime swarms, and the improvidence of after-swarms, may be attributed to 

 the first having the circumspection of an old queen, — as apparently shown under some 

 other circumstances, — whereas the last are accompanied by queens that are only a few 

 days old, of course cannot be affirmed, though it seems very probable. The first issue 

 mentioned by Mr. Green I conceive to have been an after-swarm : on the second 

 there may be some doubt ; but if it should turn out to have been a prime swarm, I 

 should judge that there had been some previous friendly intercourse between the two 

 neighbouring stocks. — Edward Bevan, M.D. ; Hereford, January 22, 1850. 



Increase and Decrease in Weight of a Hive of Bees. — The very interesting state- 

 ment of the increase and decrease of a hive of bees, given by Mr. Fox (Zool. 2680), 

 induced me to contrast it with a similar one made and entered in my diary during 

 the latter period of time given in his chart, viz., from the 18th of June to the 12th of 

 July. A very fine swarm rose in my apiary on the first-named date, consisting of 

 5 fts. of bees, which were put into a hive of beautiful clean combs. I weighed them 

 at longer intervals of time, and not daily as Mr. Fox did his hive. My apparatus is 

 portable and convenient for weighing, but as the steelyards are used I cannot come 

 nearer than \ ft. Both the hives were prepared with combs ; and the following 

 tabular statement will show the gain of each hive, according to the dates which I 



have taken. 



Mr. Fox's hive. 



lbs. oz. Tbs. oz. 



Increase from June 18 to 23 inclusive 5 2 15 



„ 24 to 28 „ 5 4 3 12 



„ 29 „ 2 „ 10 



„ 30 to July 1„ 2 14 



July 2 to 8 „ 2 12 3 



„ 9 , „ 12 „ 10 



„ 10 to 12 „ 5 12 3 



Clear gain of each hive from June 181 23 8 15 3 



to July 12 J 



The gross weight of my hive, on the 12th of July, was 33f fts. : it was not weighed 

 again until the 24th of August (when it was 27i fts.), about the time I usually take 

 the weight for stocks. There is one striking feature given in Mr. Fox's table, which 

 I think principally accounts for the difference of weight: his had sent out two fine 



