MORE ABOUT SWARMS. 163 



inhabitant, and thus to have no rival to herself. 

 Moved by her jealousy, she tries very hard to do this. 

 And if there are not sufficient bees hatched out to 

 furnish another swarm, or if the weather is unpro- 

 pitious, the worker-bees allow her to carry out her 

 murderous intention, and, indeed, assist her in the 

 work of destruction. Thus she is left supreme. But, 

 on the other hand, if there are plenty of bees, and the 

 hive is again sufficiently strong to spare another 

 swarm, the young queen, first hatched out, is not 

 allowed to carry out her wish. When she tries to 

 get near a queen-cell the workers prevent and drive 

 her away. At this she becomes excessively angry, 

 and makes a peculiar noise, which may distinctly be 

 heard outside the hive. It sounds like ' Peep,' ' Peep,' 

 uttered harsh and shrill. This is heard by some other 

 young queen yet in her cell, and she also joins in 

 with the same sound, so that it becomes like a chal- 

 lenge to battle given from one to another — the other 

 bees preventing the queen at liberty from taking any 

 unfair advantage over her royal sister in the cell. 



When this sound is heard it may be taken as a 

 sure sign of a second swarm in a day or two, for the 

 young queen at liberty, not being allowed to destroy 

 her coming rival, makes resolve herself to leave the 

 hive with as many bees as will accompany her. When 

 this takes place it is said to be a ' Cast.' 



Sometimes a third or even a fourth swarm will in 

 succession issue from the same hive.* But these latter 



* 'Not unfiequently third, fourth, fifth, and sixth swarms 

 issue from Italian and Syrian colonies, taking the young 

 queens with them. I have taken twenty-seven young queens 



