ENEMIES OF BEES. 269 



bee lovers, and have your hives of the best unshaky, un- 

 knotty stock, with close fitting joints, and well covered with 

 three or four coats of paint. He who shall be successful 

 in devising the means of ridding the bee world of this de- 

 structive and merciless pest, will richly deserve to be crowned 

 " King Bee," in perpetuity, to be entitled to a never-fading 

 wreath of budding honey flowers, from sweetly breathing 

 fields, all murmuring with bees, to be privileged to use, 

 during his natural life, " night tapers from their waxen 

 thighs," best wax candles, (two to the pound !) to have an 

 annual offering from every bee-master, of ten pounds each, 

 of very best virgin honey, and to a body guard, for protec- 

 • lion against all foes, of thrice ten thousand workers, all 

 armed and equipped, as Nature's law directs. Who shall 

 have these high honors ?" 



It might seem highly presumptuous for me, at this early 

 date, to lay claim to them, but I beg leave to enroll myself 

 among the list of honorable candidates, and I cheerfully 

 submit my pretensions to the suffrages of all intelligent 

 keepers of bees. 



In the chapter on Requisites, I have spoken of the ravages 

 of the mouse, and have there described the way in which 

 my hives are guarded against its intrusion. That some 

 kinds of birds are fond of bees, every Apiarian knows, to 

 his cost ; still, I cannot advise that any should, on this ac- 

 count, be destroyed. It has been stated to me, by an intelli- 

 gent observer, that the King-bird, which devours them by 

 scores, confines himself always, in the season of drones, 

 to those fat and lazy gentlemen of leisure. I fear however, 

 that this, as the children say, " is too good news to be true," 

 and that not only the industrious portion of the busy com- 

 munity fall a prey to his fatal snap, but that the luxurious 

 gourmand can distinguish perfectly well, between an empty 

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