NATUEAL SWARMING. 139 



bees to make them believe it rains ! Such artificial 

 thunder and rain have no more influence over a swarm of 

 bees or its destination than the sigh of a butterfly in 

 love. 



Fortunately swarms almost always settle near home for 

 a short time before they seek a more abiding habitation 

 elsewhere ; but when they have decided to go to a dis- 

 tance, and have commenced their march, all the old 

 women and frying-pans in England will not stop them. 

 "We have known one or two fugitive swarms shot at. The 

 poor feUow who shot said, " If I can hit and bring down 

 the queen the bees will return." He was right enough in 

 his ideas, but unfortunately he did not hit the queen, and 

 lost his swarm. 



These fugitive swarms rise higher than houses and 

 trees, and travel at the rate of abou.t eight miles an hour ; 

 so it is hard work to follow them : still a man swift of 

 foot can foUow them, if no impediments come in his way. 



If a swarm is not speedily hived it may be lost, and 

 sometimes it will hang for a day before it departs. Old 

 combs in the hollow of a tree or roof of a house, are very 

 inviting. All hives that have lost their bees in the winter 

 should be placed where swarms cannot find them. Some 

 dishonest persons expose their dead hives with combs in 

 them, for the purpose of catching swarms not their own. 

 Such people are thoroughly dishonest, and would steal 

 horses and cattle if these could not be identified. 



When a swarm alights on two separate places or bushes, 

 both lots should be hived together. 



In large apiaries, two swarms, and sometimes three, 

 issue at the same moment, and generally unite. The 

 queens go with the multitude, and follow the noise. It 

 is an awkward affair when two swarms unite, for to separ- 



