HONEY. 27 



they be mother and offspring, or sisters of the blood, or 

 strangers every way — will, on meeting, rush savagely at 

 each other, and fight with greater fury than bull-dogs. 



In every contest between two queens it is death or 

 victory. In some such contests both die. I have known 

 two engaged in this deadly and violent struggle roll out 

 of the door of the hive, over the flight-board, and fight it 

 out on the ground. In this battle one was killed and the 

 other wounded. Once we saw two young queens meet on 

 the flight-board of a hive while a second swarm was issu- 

 ing from it. They ran and embraced each other in furi- 

 ous combat ; but, as we wished to obtain the second 

 swarm, we tore the combatants asunder and threw them 

 up in the air. Both went with the swarm. Next morn- 

 ing one was found dead in front of the hive into which 

 the swarm was put. 



CHAPTER VII. 



This substance is found in the flowers of certain plants 

 in almost every country. Doubtless it is odoriferous; and 

 hence the honey-bee, whose smelling powers are wonder- 

 fully keen, can easily find it. The bee is furnished with 

 a proboscis of some length, wherewith it can reach most 

 of the nectaries of flowers in which honey is found. It 

 has been said that at the point of the proboscis there 

 is a brush of exquisite softness, which is used for col- 

 lecting honey, and thus enabling the bee to fill its own 

 bag. 



