294 THE BEE-KEEPER’S MANUAL. 
than one young queen; often by three or four, or 
even more than that, and always in the virgin state. 
“Indeed,” observes Mr. Golding, ‘it would appear 
that all which are ready to quit their cells (one 
only, be it remembered, being at liberty in the hive 
until the moment of swarming) go off with the 
swarm; leaving the more forward of the younger 
princesses to come off with subsequent swarms, or 
‘fight out’ their title to the sovereignty of the 
parent stock at home.” 
A third and even a fourth issue sometimes takes 
place (a jifth is recorded by Mr. Langstroth), the 
intervening periods successively becoming shorter, 
and more piping being heard. As all the royal 
cells must have been tenanted before the old queen 
departed from the hive, it follows that a term of 
about sixteen days comprises the limit during 
which, under ordinary circumstances, swarming can 
occur; and thenceforth the queen bee is mute for 
the year. Moreover, the worker brood originally left 
in the hive will now, or in a few days, be matured, 
leaving the combs less occupied, probably in any 
way, than at any other period of the year, until the 
young reigning queen is in a condition again to 
stock them with eggs. This state of the hive is 
therefore considered by some as the most favourable 
for examination and excision of old combs, and for 
other operations usually attended to in the spring. 
I have known piping after a second swarm has 
departed, where no third issue has followed. The 
second swarm, however, in this instance, was re- 
stored to the stock-hive on the same evening, 
