403 THE BEE keeper's MANUAL. 



bees came and lit upon it, he was convinced that the love 

 of varnish, (see p. 85,) instead of sorrow or respect for the 

 dead, was the occasion of their gathering round the coffin ! 

 How many superstitions in which often intelligent persons 

 most firmly confide, might if all the facts were known, be 

 as easily explained. 



Before closing this Chapter, I must again strongly caution 

 all inexperienced bee-keepers, against attempting to transfer 

 colonies from an old hive. I am determined that if any find 

 that they, have made a wanton sacrifice of their bees, they 

 shall not impute their loss to my directions. If they persist 

 in making the attempt, let them, by all means, either do it 

 at break of day, before the bees of other hives will be in- 

 duced to commence robbing ; or better still, let them do it 

 not only early in the morning, but let them carry the hive 

 on which they intend to operate, to a very considerable dis- 

 tance from the vicinity of the other hives, and entirely out 

 of sight of the Apiary. I prefer myself this last plan, as I 

 then run no risk of attracting other bees to steal the honey, 

 and acquire mischievous habits. 



The bee-keeper is very often reminded by the actions of 

 his bees of some of the worst traits in poor human nature. 

 When a man begins to sink under misfortunes, how many are 

 ready not simply to abandon him, but to pounce upon him 

 like greedy harpies, dragging, if they can, the very bed from 

 under his wife and helpless children, and appropriating all 

 which by any kind of maneuvring, they can possibly transfer 

 to their already overgrown coffers ! With much the same 

 spirit, more pardonable to be sure in an insect, the bees from 

 other hives, will gather round the one which is being broken 

 up, and while the disconsolate owners are lamenting over 

 their ruined prospects, will, with all imaginable rapacity and 

 glee, bear off every drop which they can possibly seize. 



