SWARMING AND HIVING. 151 



came out, before the queen presented herself to join them. 

 When I perceived that the swarm had given up their search 

 for her, and were beginning to return to the parent hive, 

 I placed her, with her wings clipped, on the limb of a small 

 evergreen tree : she crawled to the very top of the limb, as 

 if for the purpose of making herself as conspicuous as pos- 

 sible. A few bees noticed her, and instead of alighting, 

 darted rapidly away ; in a few seconds, the whole colony 

 were apprised of her presence, flew in a dense cloud to the 

 spol, and commenced quietly clustering around her. I have 

 often noticed the surprising rapidity with which bees corrimu- 

 cate with each other, while on the wing. Telegraphic sig- 

 nals are hardly more instantaneous. (See Chapter on the 

 Loss of the Queen.) 



That bees send out scouts to seek a suitable abode, it 

 seems to me, can admit of no serious question. Swarms 

 have been traced to their new home, either in their flight 

 directly from their hive, or from the place where they have 

 clustered ; and it is evident, that in such instances, they 

 hare pursued the most direct course. Now such a preci- 

 sion of flight to a " terra incognita" an unknown home, 

 would plainly be impossible, if some, of their number had 

 not previously selected the spot, so as to be competent to 

 act as guides to the rest. The sight of the bees for distant 

 objects, is wonderfully acute, and after rising to a sufficient 

 elevation, they can see the prominent objects in the vicinity 

 of their intended abode, even although they may he several 

 miles distant. Whether the bees send out their scouts lefore 

 or after swarming, may admit of more question. In cases 

 where the colony flies without alighting, to its new home, 

 they are unquestionably dispatched before swarming. If this 

 were their usual course, then we should naturally expect all 

 the colonies to take the same speedy departure. Or if, for the 



