172 THE HONEY-BEE. 



succession of shrill, angry notes, having the sound of 

 " peep, peep." To this one or more of the unhatched 

 queens will reply in similar tones ; and these consti- 

 tute what is known to bee-keepers as "piping." It 

 is especially noticeable previous to the issue of 

 swarms after the first, and may be heard, particularly 

 in the morning and evening, on placing the ear to 

 the side or back of a hive about to send off another 

 colony, and especially about the eighth day after the 

 first issue. 



Another indication of the approach of swarming is 

 the clustering of bees in idleness near and outside the 

 entrance of the hive. This is specially observable 

 if, through unfavourable weather, an enforced delay 

 occurs in the departure of the colony. 



When the old queen has become sensible that 

 she must depart with a portion of her subjects, she 

 usually chooses a fine morning for her exodus ; and, 

 under ordinary circumstances, takes her flight between 

 the hours of ten and one in the day. Occasionally, 

 however, from some cause, she will delay her start, 

 and the writer has had one instance in his own ex- 

 perience in which the swarm came out at the unusually 

 late hour of a few minutes after five in the afternoon. 



All the bees who are about to accompany their 

 sovereign, take the precaution of securing a supply of 

 food sufficient to last them several days ; for they 

 instinctively know they will be so occupied in wax- 

 making and the internal preparations of their new 

 home, that there will be no opportunity for them 

 to get supplies out of doors, while, of course, they 

 expect to tenant an empty dwelling. When all is 

 ready, and their honey-bags are distended to the full. 



