FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 71 



Perhaps oftener, however, I use both hands to handle a 

 frame, even while holding a queen in one hand. While searching 

 for the queen the frame is held in both hands, and as soon as 

 she is seen the end of the frame held by the right hand is rested 

 upon the hive, the right hand catches the queen, and she is then 

 allowed to run upon the leg of my trousers, upon the thigh (it 



Fig. 24 — Clipping the Queen. 



is an exceedingly rare thing that a laying queen will offer to 

 fly), and then I catch her in the hollow of my right hand, hold- 

 ing her in the hollow formed by the three fingers, while with the 

 thumb and forefinger I am free to handle the frame at leisure. 



BEES BALLING QUEEN. 



When a colony is being overhauled, it sometimes happens 

 that the queen is found balled. This balling is likely more be- 

 cause the colony, being frightened, is seeking to protect the 

 queen than because of any hostility to her. Fig. 30 shows a 

 queen thus balled, or rather the balling bees are shown, the 

 queen being hidden by them. The ball is small, whereas a ball 



