THE BEE NATION. 2'?3- 



should instinctively have built cells one time as well as 

 another. At the same minister's I saw a pretty little ex- 

 periment. It is well known that the inhabitants of a hive 

 accept no strangers. The minister took a bee and put it 

 down among those which were on guard in front of another 

 hive. The latter at once fell on the involuntary intruder, 

 killed it, and threw it over. A hive happened to have lost 

 its queen, and a new ruler was to be given to it. But if a 

 strange queen were simply put down in front of the queen- 

 less hive, she would at once blindly and ' instinctively ' be 

 put to death by the guards. The matter, therefore, had to- 

 be managed craftily. Jf we had understood bee-language, a 

 careful speech, in which they would have been made aware 

 of the high honor conferred on them and their future duties, 

 would doubtless have been sufficient. The bees would have 

 had time enough to master their feelings of grief, and to 

 think of business. This time must be given them in another 

 way. With this object our bee-master had a pretty little 

 trap of finest wirework, a mouse-trap of the tiniest sort. In 

 this he put the queen with a small court, closed a little 

 opening with wax, and placed the apparatus in front of the 

 hive to which he desired to give a new sovereign. Naturally 

 the bees fell ' instinctively ' on the little cage and tried to 

 kill the inmates, but the wire saved them. The murderers 

 pressed hotly round the cage ; but suddenly they recognised 

 the majesty before them. Anger ceased; wonderingly and 

 dutifully they surrounded the queen. The news of the glad 

 event spread with lightning rapidity through the hive, and 

 a glad humming expressed the feeling of the bees. Crowds 

 left the hive and hastened to see the queen and to assure 

 her of their entire devotion. The popular vote was brief 

 and demanded unanimously the acceptation of the stranger 

 as queen. The guards, ashamed of their insulting reception, 

 stood aside; after careful investigation of the prison the 

 wax closing the opening was discovered and removed, and 

 the queen by the grace of God (or the minister F. B.) was 

 led to the throne. Her suite also remained unhurt. I 

 scarcely think that the queen had previously taken any 

 solemn promises. She was met with absolute trust, for a 

 queen had never yet deceived her people ! The event which 

 is the basis of this little story will be confirmed by the 

 minister of Laudenbach." 



