iJ4 PBACTICAX, BEE-KEEPING. 



■wards be cut down by tHe bees until it assnmea the form c. The number 

 of qneen cells runs from about 3 to 20 or even more, and are in different 

 stages of progress, so that they would produce young queens at intervals. 

 If the stock intends to send out no second swarm the first queen leaving 

 the royal cradle is allowed to follow her instinct of intense hatred to a 

 rival, she stinging her sisters to death, while the bees themselves assist 

 in tearing open the cells containing them. The colony, depleted by 

 swarming, is now receiving by hatching additions to the extent of from 

 2000 to 3000 per day, a number equal to the number of eggs deposited 

 by the old queen three weeks before. The seven or eight days which 

 usually elapse between swarming, and the birth of the first princess 

 therefore supplies sufficient for another migration, and with thoroughly 

 vigorous colonies — unless the beemaster prevent it, as presently explained 

 — a second swarm or cast as it ia termed, generally issues. The bees 

 thus deciding, keep careful guard over the cells of the princesses, of 

 which the one first hatched is prevented from injuring the remainder, 

 being driven back and given to understand, as Langstroth says, " That 

 even a queen cannot do in all things as she pleases." Like some human 

 beings who cannot have their own way, she is highly offended when thus 

 repulsed, and utters in quick succession of notes a shrill angry sound 

 not unlike the rapid utterance of the words " peep, peep." To this 

 angry note one or more of the unhatched queens will respond in a some- 

 what hoarser key, just as a cock by crowing bids defiance to his rivals. 

 This sound, called "piping," which cannot be mistaken for any other 

 made by the bees, may be heard by placing the ear against the hive 

 in the morning or evening before the issue of any swarm after the 

 first, and, as the east usually comes off nine days after the swarm, 

 let the beekeeper listen as described, on the evening of the eighth day, 

 when, if piping be heard it is a tolerably certain evidence that the 

 hive will throw a second swarm, the exception being caused by very 

 unfavourable weather, obliging the bees to permit the destruction of the 

 princesses. Frequently, in the excitement of casting, some of the queens 

 over which guard has been kept wiU make their escape, and fly from the 

 hive. We had a late cast one autumn which settled in two masses in an 

 apple tree. After hiving and throwing down in front of the stock whence 

 they came, in order to return them, we found five queens amongst them, 

 each of which we placed in a small hive (a nucleus, hereafter explained), 

 with a little cluster of bees ; and when they had mated and commenced 

 laying, we utilized them for displacing old and worn out queens in other 

 hives. Sometimes, as the queens continue to hatch, a succession of after 

 swarms comes off, which are generally so weak in numbers themselves, 

 while they so depopulate the stock, that neither they nor it are of much 

 service — atleast, for that season. Pour orfive years ago wehad four swarms 

 in five days from one hive, which in this case afterwards gave us a super, 



