314 THE liEB keeper's MANUAL. 



hives, have an abundance of air, it will be necessary to 

 carry them at once into a dark and cool place. Early next 

 morning the condition of the hive should be examined, and 

 the proper remedies if it is weak or queenless should be ap- 

 plied ; or if its condition is past remedy, it should at once be 

 broken up, and the bees united to another stock. 



I have been credibly informed of an exceedingly curious 

 kind of robbing among bees. Two colonies, both in good 

 condition, seemed determined to appropriate each other's 

 labors : neither made any resistance to the entrance of 

 the plundering bees ; but each seemed too busily intent 

 upon its own dishonest gains, to notice* that the work of 

 subtraction kept pace with that of addition. An intelli- 

 gent Apiarian stated to me this singular fact as occurring in 

 his own Apiary. This is a very near approximation to the 

 story of the Kilkenny cats. Alas ! that there should be so 

 much of equally short-sighted policy among human beings ; 

 individuals, communities and nations seeking often to thrive 

 by attempting to prey upon the labors of others, instead 

 of doing all that they can, by industry and enterprise, to 

 add to the common stock. I have never, in my own expe- 

 rience, met with an instance of such silly pilfering' as the 

 one described ; but I have occasionally known bees to be 

 carrying on their labors, while others were stealing more 

 than the occupants of the hive were gathering, without their 

 being aware of it. 



* The bees ,in each colony had probably contracted the same smell, 

 jmcl could not distinguish friends from foes. 



