BEES, BEE-HIVES, AND BEE CULTURE. 13 



Or now in restless rings around they fly, 

 Nor spoil thy sip, nor load the hollowed thigh ; 

 E'en the dull drone his wonted ease gives o'er, 

 Plaps his unwieldly wings, and longs to soar. 



Bat when all is ready, a scene of the most violent agitation takes 

 place ; the bees rush out in vast numbers, forming quite a dark cloud 

 as they traverse the air. 



The time selected for the departure of the emigrants is generally 

 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. ; most swarms come off within an hour 

 of noon. It is a very general remark that bees choose a Sunday for 

 swarming, and probably this is because then greater stillness reigns 

 around. It will not be difficult to imagine that the careful bee- 

 keeper is anxious to keep a strict watch, lest he should lose such 

 a treasure when once it takes wing. The exciting scene at a 

 bee-swarming has been well described by the apiarian laureate : — 



Up mounts the chief, and, to the cheated eye. 



Ten thousand shuttles dart along the sky ; 



As swift through sether rise the rushing swarms. 



Gay dancing to the beam their sunbright forms ; 



And each thin form, still lingering on the sight, 



Trails as it shoots, a line of silver light. 



High poised on buoyant wing, the thoughtful queen, 



In gaze attentive, views the varied scene, 



And soon her far-fetched ken discerns below ; 



The light labumam lift her polished brow, 



Wave her green leafy ringlets o'er the glade. 



Swift as the falcon's sweep, the monarch bends 



Her flight abrupt ; the following host descends 



Kound the fine twig, like clustered grapes they close 



In thickening wreaths, and court a short repose. 



In many country districts it is a time-honoured custom for the 

 good folks of the village to commence on such occasions a terrible 

 noise of tanging and ringing with frying pan and key. This is done 

 with the absurd notion that the bees are charmed with the clangorous 

 din, and may by it be induced to settle as near as possible to the 

 source of such sweet sounds. This is, however, quite a mistake ; there 

 are other and better means for the purpose. The practice of ringing 

 was originally adopted for a different and far more sensible object, 

 viz., for the purpose of giving notice that a swarm had issued forth, 

 and that the owner was anxious to claim the right of following, 

 even though it should alight on a neighbour's premises. It would 

 oe curious to trace how this ancient ceremony has thus got corrupted 

 from the original design. 



