210 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



robbers made no attempt below — indeed I suppose they would 

 have been promptly repulsed if they had — so after trying for 

 a time to get in the place I had closed, they gave up and left the 

 hive. 



PLAVING BEES AND ROBBKl.'S. 



1 think I cnu (ell by carefully looking at bees when Jlying 

 with unusual commotion at the entrance of a hive whether it is 

 a case of robbing or bees at play, but I am not sure I could tell 



/■'/,'/. 



-Robhcr-Gloth. 



some (iiie olsc the diffeicnce in appeanince. Looking at bees at 

 ]ilay in Fig. 82. and comparing with Fig. 81, there appears little 

 difference. In aclual life there will be seen the same excited 

 eagerness in e<icb case. 



The time of day helps to decide. During the middle of the 

 day, say from noon till the middle of the afternoon, playing is 

 common; earlier or later than (hat time, if there is big excite- 

 ment at the entrance of a weak colony, the likelihood is that 

 robbing is going on. 



