12 THE BOOK OF THE HONEY BEE 



How to secure the swarm, and its subsequent treat- 

 ment, will be dealt with further on (see sec. iii. 

 chap ii.). 



The parent stock is now considerably reduced in 

 numbers, and is still queenless ; and until one of the 

 queen cells is hatched, and the young queen success- 

 fully mated and laying, but little honey will be gathered ; 

 so that rapid increase of stocks and honey-production 

 cannot go on side by side. 



Should the first hatched queen in the parent stock 

 be prevented by the bees from destroying the remain- 

 ing queen cells, a second swarm or "cast," as it is termed, 

 issues usually about the ninth day following the issue 

 of the " prime " or " top " swarm. Casts ignore both 

 time of day and weather when issuing, and, being 

 headed by a virgin queen, sometimes fly a considerable 

 distance ere clustering. At times further casts are 

 " thrown " off at intervals of one or two days. 



As an indication of the probable issue of a cast within 

 one or two days, the queen may sometimes be heard to 

 emit a shrill sound ("piping") as she is foiled in her 

 efforts to destroy the remaining queen cells. 



The issue of all secondary swarms is unprofitable, as 

 tending to weaken unduly the parent colony. 



Varieties of Bees 



In addition to the ordinary brown or English bee, 

 other varieties have at various times been introduced 

 and cultivated, with a considerable amount of success. 



Chief amongst these is the Italian or Ligurian bee, 

 first introduced into this country in 1 859 by the late 

 Mr T. W. Woodbury, of Exeter. 



The Ligurian Bee is mainly characterised by three 

 yellow bands around the abdomen. It is claimed for 

 this variety that it will work both earlier and later, and 



