68 THE LIFE OF THE BEE 



" They are beating to arms," say the French peasants. And 

 then the strange home will at once be accepted, and its 

 remotest corners explored ; its position in the apiary, its form, 

 its colour, are grasped and retained in these thousands of 

 prudent and faithful little memories. Careful note is taken 

 of the neighbouring landmarks, the new city is founded and 

 its place established in the mind and the heart of all its 

 inhabitants ; the walls resound with the love-hymn of the 

 royal presence, and work begins. 



39 

 But if the swarm be not gathered by man, its history 

 will not end here. It will remain suspended on the branch 

 until the return of the workers, who, acting as scouts, winged 

 quartermasters, as it were, have at the very first moment of 

 swarming sallied forth in all directions in search of a lodging. 

 They return one by one, and render account of their mission ; 

 and as it is manifestly impossible for us to fathom the thought 

 of the bees, we can only interpret in human fashion the 

 spectacle that they present. We may regard it as probable, 

 therefore, that most careful attention is given to the reports 

 of the various scouts. One of them, it may be, dwells on 

 the advantage of some hollow tree it has seen ; another is 

 in favour of a crevice in a ruinous wall, of a cavity in a 

 grotto, or an abandoned burrow. The assembly often will 

 pause and deliberate until the following morning. Then at 

 last the choice is made, and approved by all. At a given 

 moment the entire mass stirs, disunites, sets in motion, and 



