102 LOCATION OF HIVES. 
head toward the hive, it recedes in circles, backward, at 
first describing a circle so small as to be scarcely per- 
ceptible, but enlarging as the distance from the hive is 
increased. They thus take into view all objects sur- 
rounding the hive, so that they are able to return to 
their own hives without difficulty. After one or two 
excursions begun in this manner, the bee leaves the hive 
in a direct line for the fields, without taking any fur- 
ther precaution whatever, and returns by its knowledge 
of the objects in the vicinity ofthe hives, without diffi- 
culty. 
Notwithstanding there might be a hundred hives 
standing in a line, with only a few inches space between 
each, and all of the same color and appearance, if left 
to itself no bee would enter the hive of its neighbor, 
although there might be hundreds of thousands of the 
busy workers from all the hives, flying promiscuously 
about in the air. Each bee knows its own hive perfectly, 
and if from any accident it enters its neighbor’s house, 
immediate death is usually the result ; or possibly it may 
escape, after being roughly handled, and made to under- 
stand that it is trespassing, on forbidden ground. 
Some bee keepers, with little knowledge of their occu- 
pation, often remove a hive of bees several rods, in the 
working season. The result is, all the bees that had 
marked the location (and all the old bees had done this) 
are lost. They would continue to leave the hive ina 
direct line, after its removal, not taking the precaution 
to mark the location, as they were unaware of-the change, 
