252 THE LORE OF THE HONEY-BEE 
soon a little blur of bees may be seen coming over 
the hedge-top, and making straight for the selected 
hive. There is no more crafty reconnoitring, It 
is to be battle undisguised. The robbers descend 
upon their prey, and at once a terrific uproar 
begins, a desperate hand-to-hand fight between 
besiegers and besieged. Left to themselves, the 
weak stock will have little chance from the outset. 
It is quickly overcome. And then a curious thing 
often happens. The bees of the home-colony 
which have survived the fight, join forces with the 
victors, and themselves help to rifle and carry 
away to the robbers’ lair the treasure which is 
their own by right. Luckily, the bee-master has 
an all but unfailing preventive of this vexatious 
trouble ready to his hand. He can safely leave 
aH those hives which are numerically strong of 
citizens to take care of themselves, and those 
which are weak of population he can join together 
in twos or threes, converting them also into strong, 
self-protective colonies. The modern movable- 
comb hive is a power in the hands of the capable 
beeman, for the comb-frames from several hives 
can be placed together in one, and the bees will 
unite quite peaceably at this season, if all are well 
dusted with a flour-dredger, or treated with a 
scent-spray, so that in odour and appearance they 
may be alike. Probably every hive has its own 
distinct odour, which is shared by all its denizens, 
and this is no doubt the means by which the 
