AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



235 



the honey, and then dal-kened the whole concern by placing 

 tny hat over it. So soon as by this means the light would 

 come to the Bee from below, it would descend to the honey, 

 and commence filling itself. This was an important thing 

 to observe, and which could be easily done by gently rais- 

 ing the hat a short distance. Wlien I supposed the Bee was 

 partly filled, I took suddenly away both hat and tumbler, 

 and this transit from darkness to light would make it fly im- 

 mediately. The manner of flight from the dish of honey 

 is always spirally, rising higher and higher, until by its re- 

 peated circles, the proper height in the air is attained, when 

 it directs a perfectly straight course to the hive to which it 

 belongs. 



The ground which I selected was generally so unobstruct- 

 ed by the branches of trees, that I could discern the flight 

 of the Bee for one or two hundred yards. The time chosen 

 was on a perfectly still and clear day, as, on a dark or windy 

 day, the flight of the Bees would not only be very indirect, 

 but the distance of seeing them so short as to prevent suc- 

 cess in finding their hives. 



The flight of a Bee is never varied when passing to its 

 hive, unless to avoid some obstacle. Indeed, so very direct 

 is its course, that among those in my neighbourhood who 

 are acquainted with this circumstance, it is a proverb, when 

 an analogous thing is to be exemplified, to say that " it goes 

 as straight as a Bee." However, when a tree intervenes, 

 instead of passing through its branches, instinct points out 

 to the Bee, the danger it is often subject to of being caught 

 by the various fly-catching birds which may be sitting on 

 the limbs of the tree, which it will always avoid by a con- 

 siderable circular flight, or by passing beneath or above the 

 tops of the trees. 



The distance of the hive from me I could calculate to a 

 very great certainty, by the time whicli elapsed between 

 the departure from, and return of, the Bee to the dish, al- 

 lowing, as experience had taught me, from three to four 

 minutes per mile; one and a half minute for it to carry its 

 burden to the hive, one or two minutes to deposit its honey, 

 (according to the depth of the hole in the tree into which it 

 had to crawl, ) and one minute to return unencumbered. In 

 this manner I have succeeded in finding hives at a distance 

 of several miles from my starting place. 



On the return of the Bee to the dish, its flight was 

 marked b)' the same spiral movements, until it would again 

 settle in the honey. This Bee, in every instance, was ac- 

 companied by other Bees, which, having discovered the 

 spoils it brought to the hive, would follow it, to partake of 

 the same treasure; and, the shorter the distance to tlie hive, 

 the greater would be the number of visitants to the dish. 

 This was another sure guide for me to judge of the distance. 

 When a number settled on the honey, I caught and confined 



them in the tumbler, by tying it with them in my handker- 

 chief Having marked the course of the first Bee, I then 

 carried my various articles in that direction, (which I was 

 always able to ascertain to a considerable distance by means 

 of a pocket compass,) perhaps for half a mile, or more or 

 less, as I judged the distance to the tree I was in search of, 

 and, making the same preparations as at first, I placed the 

 tumbler of Bees again on the honey, and sufiered them, 

 under cover of my hat, to begin to fill themselves, when I 

 would let them off, by taking away the hat and tumbler as 

 before. This plan I repeated as often as was necessary to 

 bring me to the foot of the tree which contained the swarm 

 of Bees. As I approached the spot, the Bees would con- 

 gregate in greater numbers about the dish: the party flying 

 from the plate always returning with recruits. 



I never suffered my prisoner Bees to fill themselves to 

 surfeit, as, in this case, my efibrts would have been useless, 

 for these Bees would never have returned again. 



The description of trees on which I usually found these 

 hives were the white pine and hemlock, and the entrance 

 for the swarm mostly was a small hole, situated, generally, 

 high in the trunk,* in which case it was difficult to discover 

 it; but when situated nearer the earth, the ingress and egress 

 of the Bees would be plainly seen, on the first approach to 

 the tree. It frequently happened, that, owing to the very 

 great height of the hives, I had to resort to a variation in 

 my mode of finding them, and this would be by marking 

 the suspected tree with an axe, and then, with my honey, 

 tumbler, and prisoner Bees, I would take a side position of 

 several hundred yards from the tree which I had marked 

 with my axe, and from this position, start some Bees, 

 in order to get a cross line, or form a right angle by their 

 flight, and, having watched the course of the Bees, I marked 

 this line until it crossed the first line, at which spot I inva- 

 riably found the swarm, and, not unfrequently, in the iden- 

 tical tree that I had marked. * * 



It sometimes happened that I would pass the tree contain- - 

 ing the swarm, in which case the Bees let off would not re- 

 turn to my dish; and I had then to resort to the expedient 

 of making a fire and heating some stones, on which I placed 

 some honeycomb, until a considerable smoke was produced; 

 the fumes ascending would attract the notice of the Bees, 

 and would bring them in numbers to the spot. I then placed 



* As there are more animals beside man which are fond of sweet things, 

 the Bees seem to be aware of the number and voracity of their enemies, 

 hence the reason of their choosing large trees and small holes as entrances 

 for their hives, in order to keep out intruders from their honey. Foxes and 

 Bears are among their most formidable enemies, and while the former, with 

 all their cunning, fail frequently in obtaining this mellifluous plunder, the 

 latter, by boldness, ability to climb, and the impervious nature of their skin 

 to the weapons of the Bees, seldom fail to secure honey fiom hives, of which 

 they are immoderately fond. 



