134 HANDY BOOK OF BEES. 



■when they are running hack, we try to get a sight of her 

 majesty. She is very conspicuous and easily known, hut 

 the eye of the hee-keeper does not see all parts of the 

 swarm at once. And as the queen is very modest, she 

 often hides herself amongst the bees hefore she is noticed. 

 In ahout two minutes all the hees leave the crown of the 

 hive and settle on its sides. When she has escaped our 

 notice the first time, we give the hive a great " thump,'' 

 and thus bring all the bees on the crown of the hive 

 again, when they rapidly leave it for the sides, giving 

 another opportunity of seeing the queen. But instead of 

 shaking them down a second time, we sometimes spnoiL- 

 fal them down on the crown of the hive, allowing each 

 spoonful to run off before we put another down ; and by 

 beginning at one side of the swarm, and going all round 

 it in this process of spooning them down, we cannot miss 

 the queen, if she is with the swarm, and in nineteen cases 

 out of twenty she is. It is very rare indeed that bees 

 sting, or ever think about it, when dealt with in this 

 manner. And after a man once does it, he has no more 

 fear of using a spoon amongst his bees than he has in 

 using it for taking mashed potatoes from one plate to 

 another. 



