3i8 MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. [Ch. vi. 



sand up into the air, so that it should fall down amongst 

 the bees on the wing ; but they were dispersed in dis- 

 order, and 'their flight extended over three adjacent 

 gardens. We only discovered the clustered bees by 

 diligent search, as the sequel will show. Permission 

 being asked of our next-door neighbour, we searched 

 his garden to see if our bees had alighted there; but 

 found that they had passed over. Making a similar 

 application to the owner of the garden adjoining, we 

 entered, having a straw hive in hand, but no bees were 

 there. After looking diligently all round, and climbing 

 the wall, thereby gaining a view of the third garden, we 

 perceived in it unmistakable signs of an unwonted com- 

 motion. The occupiers of the house were intently 

 looking at a particular part of the garden, and there was 

 a dust-pan and a key, with which the master had been 

 " tanging the bees," to induce them to settle. We 

 quickly made for the proper entrance to the garden, and 

 soon discovered our little wanderers clustered to a large 

 flower-vase. After brushing them into the hive, and 

 leaving it propped up with a stick, ' in order that the 

 stray ones might join, we returned home for an hour or 

 so, to give them time to settle. Judge of our vexation 

 when, on returning to fetch the hive home, we found that 

 the refractory creatures had again taken flight, and that 

 all the work was to do over again. The wasps were not 

 to blame for this second flight of the Italians ; we judged 

 that the swarm had been disturbed by visits from a 



