42 HANDY BOOK OF BEES. 



may prevent the swarm leaving at the usual time ; and 

 therefore the young queens may be nearly ripe, and ready 

 to leave their cells, ere the old queen, with the swarm, 

 leaves the hive. Sometimes these young queens are torn 

 out of their cells, by reason of wet or cold weather ; and 

 when this takes place, swarming is postponed for a week 

 or two. The weather may become more favourable, and 

 a second time preparations be made for swarming. As the 

 time draws near, the bees send out scouts to find a place 

 for the swarm to go to. Like a queen-wasp in spring, 

 seeking a place to build her nest, these scouts go from 

 bush to bush, up and down the hedgerows, in their own 

 locality. When the spot is fixed on, there is, in some 

 way or other, a consultation about it in the hive, for mes- 

 sengers are seen going straight to and from the place some 

 short time before the swarm leaves. It may, and some- 

 times does, happen that two places may be selected, half 

 the swarm going to the one, and half to the other. 



But let us return to the hive, and we shall find some- 

 thing to excite our admiration. Thirty or forty thousand 

 bees are about to leave the place of their birth, and the 

 comforts of home, never to retiirn. Home-sickness is un- 

 known to emigrant bees, provided they have a queen 

 amongst them. The signal for departure will soon be 

 given, but not before these thirty or forty thousand bees 

 have well fiUed their bags with honey. Which great tee 

 gives the signal to go will never be told, but unquestion- 

 ably a signal is given, for in a moment the swarm gushes 

 peU-mell, like a flowing stream, out of the hive ! What 

 an interesting sight ! Talk about the Pilgrim Fathers 

 (and all honour to them) leaving their native land for the 

 shores of America ! Look at these courageous bees in the 

 act of swarming, rushing forth to make the air ring with 

 their cheers, rising into the air above us, and there roaring 



