THE BEE NATION. 237 



eaten fruit, they try to print the impression of the place 

 deeply in their minds by flying round it and touching it with 

 their heads. The bees behave in a similar way in such 

 cases. Dujardin put a dish of sugar in a niche in a wall a 

 long way off a bee-stand. A single bee which discovered 

 the treasure noted exactly the appearance of the locality 

 by flying round the edges of the niche and pushing its 

 head against it, and then flew away and returned after some 

 little time with a number of its friends, which all fell upon 

 the sugar. 



If the queen does not return from her flight, the whole 

 behavior of the bees manifests deep trouble and uneasiness, 

 and they emit a peculiar plaintive cry, a sort of dull drawn- 

 out wail. It is the same note as is heard, as above men- 

 tioned, from the interior of a queenless or bereaved hive. 

 The greatest restlessness is seen inside and outside the hive. 

 The bees go in and out continually without any decided 

 object, as though they were seeking for their lost queen in 

 all corners, and that even when it begins to get dark, or is 

 dark, whereas under normal conditions darkness drives them 

 all into the hive. "With the described wail are mingled the 

 hissing sharp notes to which angry or irritated bees give 

 vent. On the other hand the wildest joy is shown when the 

 queen returns prosperously, happy, and rich with promise. 

 Full of delight they raise their extended hind-legs, fan the 

 air quickly and unceasingly with their wings, and give a 

 clear distinctive cry of joyful emotion, one which can be 

 easily recognised as such. This is quite different to the hiss 

 or Availing note of the queenless hive, and resembles the 

 joyful, musical " swarming note " emitted by swarming bees. 

 The note of calm content is deep, like the humming in the 

 evening after a good day's foraging. 



Just the same behavior as at the return of the queen, and 

 the same note of pleasure, may be observed in bees when 

 they reach the hive safe and sound after a flight, when 

 threatened storm, tempest, or rain, or when some menacing 

 danger is warded off by themselves or by foreign assistance. 

 They are chiefly anxious during their flights about the 

 weather, and even a threatening cloud in a clear sky will 

 drive them back to the hive, while they will fly out fearlessly 

 if the sky be completely overcast. It often happens that 

 tired, exhausted bees fall down as though they were dead 



