SWARMING. 25 



with honey. In this transition state, while the brood is 

 passing into insect fonns and living bees, there is con- 

 siderable loss of weight. But what about second swarms ? 

 WeU, we had intended to look into the hive after the 

 swarm had departed. On turning it up we find three, 

 four, or five royal cells have little maggots in them, float- 

 ing or lying in a white substance like milk. This milky 

 substance is royal jelly : where the bees get it no one 

 knows. These little maggots grow uncommonly fast, and 

 become beautiful princesses in ten days. If there is ever 

 anything Kke a regency in a bee-hive it is now, for their 

 is no queen reigning, no queen born — still, all goes on 

 wen. 



•■ By-and-by there are strange sounds made in that hive. 

 They come from a royal cell. One of the princesses has 

 come to maturity, and intimates her intention to claim 

 the queendom of the hive. She calls " Off, off, off," which 

 sounds like the barking of a dog at a distance. These 

 sounds she repeats several times ; and, being unanswered, 

 she leaves her cell, and becomes the rightful sovereign of 

 the hive. She now commences to speak in another tongue 

 altogether — uttering sounds more sharp and shrill. She 

 calls, "Peep, peep, peep," or rather, " Pa-ay, pa-ay, pa-ay," 

 eight or ten times. The other young princesses come to 

 maturity, and commence to bark " Off, off, off," in their 

 cells. This barking provokes the reigning queen very 

 much. With murderous intent she runs up and down 

 the hive to find these barking queens. Again and again, 

 every few minutes, is she heard calling "Pa-ay, pa-ay," 

 sometimes in one part of the hive and sometimes in an- 

 other. And the responses, " Off, off, off," come regularly 

 from the cells of her rival sisters. This calling of the 

 queens is termed " piping." What is it for ? Who can 

 teU ? It goes on for three days and three nights. The 



