252 THE LORE OF THE HONEY-BEE 



soon a little blur of bees may be seen coming over 

 the hedge-top, and making straight for the selected 

 hive. There is no more crafty reconnoitring. It 

 is to be battle undisguised. The robbers descend 

 upon their prey, and at once a terrific uproar 

 begins, a desperate hand-to-hand fight between 

 besiegers and besieged. Left to themselves, the 

 weak stock will have little chance from the outset. 

 It is quickly overcome. And then a curious thing 

 often happens. The bees of the home-colony 

 which have survived the fight, join forces with the 

 victors, and themselves help to rifle and carry 

 away to the robbers' lair the treasure which is 

 their own by right. Luckily, the bee-master has 

 an all but unfailing preventive of this vexatious 

 trouble ready to his hand. He can safely leave 

 all those hives which are numerically strong of 

 citizens to take care of themselves, and those 

 which are weak of population he can join together 

 in twos or threes, converting them also into strong, 

 self-protective colonies. The modern movable- 

 comb hive is a power in the hands of the capable 

 beeman, for the comb-frames from several hives 

 can be placed together in one, and the bees will 

 unite quite peaceably at this season, if all are well 

 dusted with a flour-dredger, or treated with a 

 scent-spray, so that in odour and appearance they 

 may be alike. Probably every hive has its own 

 distinct odour, which is shared by all its denizens, 

 and this is no doubt the means by which the 



