MISMANAGEMENT OF BEES, 201 
trast between the conduct of bees at home and abroad, to 
reserve all their pleasant ways for other places than the 
domestic roof; for, towards the members of its own family 
the bee is all kindness and devotion; and while, among 
human beings, a mother is often treated by her own children 
with disrespect or neglect, among bees she is always waited 
upon with reverence and affection. 
400. Huber has demonstrated, that bees have an ex- 
ceedingly acute sense of smell, and that unpleasant odors 
quickly excite their anger.* Long before his time, Butler 
said, ‘‘ Their smelling is excellent, whereby, when they fly 
aloft into the air, they will quickly perceive anything under 
them that they like, even though it be covered.’’ They 
have, therefore, a special dislike to those whose habits are 
not neat,j and who bear about them a perfume not in the 
least resembling 
* Sabean odors 
From the spicy shores of Araby the blest.” 
A horse, when assailed by them, is often killed; as, in- 
stead of running away, like most other animals, it will 
plunge and kick until it falls overpowered. The Apiary 
should be fenced in, to prevent horses and cattle from 
molesting the hives. We have known of a horse, which 
happening to be loose in a bee-yard, was attacked by a few 
bees. In trying to defend himself against them by kicking 
and rolling he upset one hive and then another, till tens of 
thousands of bees assailed him, and the poor animal was 
© Strong perfumes, however pleasant to us, are disagreeable to bees; and 
Aristotle observes, that they will sting those scented with them. We have 
known persons ignorant of this fact to be severely treated by bees. 
+t Some persons, however cleanly, are assaulted by bees as soon as they 
approach their hives. It is related of a distinguished Apiarist that, after a 
severe attack of fever, he was never able to be on good terms with his bees. 
That they can readily perceive the slightest differences in smell, is apparent 
from the fact that any number of bees, fed from a common vessel, will be gen- 
tle towards each other, while they will assail the first strange bee that alights 
on the feeder. 
