SWARMING AND HIVING. 155 



is allowed to have her own way. She rushes immediately 

 to the cells of her sisters, and, (as was described in the 

 Chapter on Physiology,) stings them to death. From some 

 observations that I have made, I am inclined to think that 

 the other bees aid her in this murderous transaction : -they 

 certainly tear open the cradles of the slaughtered inno- 

 cents, and remove them from the cells. Their dead bodies 

 may often be found on the ground in front of the hive. 



When a queen has emerged in the natural way from her 

 cell, the bees usually nibble away the now useless abode, until 

 only a small acorn cup remains ; but when by violence she 

 has met with an untimely end, they take down entirely the 

 whole of the cell. By counting these acorn-cups, it can 

 always be ascertained how many young queens have 

 hatched in a hive. 



Before the queens emerge from their cells, a fluttering 

 sound is frequently heard, which is caused by the rapid 

 motion of their wings, and which must not be confounded 

 with the piping notes which will soon be described. If the- 

 bees of the parent stock decide to swarm again, the first 

 hatched queen is prevented from killing the others. A 

 strong guard is kept over their cells, and as often as she 

 approaches them with murderous intent, she is bitten, or 

 otherwise rudely treated, and given to understand by the 

 most uncourtier-like demonstrations, that she cannot, in all 

 things, do just as she pleases. 



When thus repulsed, like men and women who cannot 

 have their own way, she is highly offended and utters an 

 angry sound, given forth in a quick succession of notes, and 

 which sounds not unlike the rapid utterance of the words, 

 " peep, peep." I have frequently, by holding a queen in 

 the closed hand, caused her to make the same noise. To 

 this angry note, one or more of the queens still unhalched. 



