228 NATURAL SWARMING. 
447. It frequently happens, in the agitation of swarm- 
ing, that the usual guard over the queen-cells is withdrawn, 
and several hatch at the same time, and accompany the col- 
ony; in which case the bees often alight in two or more 
separate clusters. In our observing-hives, we have repeat- 
edly seen young queens thrust out their tongues from a 
hole in their cell, to be fed by the bees. If allowed to issue 
at will, they are pale and weak, like other young bees, and 
for some time unable to fly; but if confined the usual time, 
they come forth fully colored, and ready for all emergen- 
cies. We have seen them issue in this state, while the 
excitement caused by 1emoving the combs from a hive, has 
driven the guard from their cells. 
The following remarkable instance came under our obser- 
vation, in Matamoras, Mexico: A second swarm deserting 
its abode the second day after being hived, settled upon a 
tree. On examining the abandoned hive, five young queens 
were found lying dead on its bottom-board. The swarm 
was returned, and, the next morning, two more dead queens 
were found. As the colony afterwards prospered, eight 
queens, at least, must have left the parent-colony in a single 
swarm ! 
Young queens, whose ovaries are not burdened with eggs, 
are much quicker on the wing than old ones, and frequently 
fly much farther f.om the parent-stock before they alight. 
447 (bis). The bee-keepers of old, who were not ac- 
quainted with the habits of bees, noticing that primary- 
swarms were more populous than after-swarms, used to 
brimstone (276) the old colony which bad swarmed, and 
its after-swarm, considering the first swarm as the best of 
the three; but this apparent superiority was often of short 
duration, for the first swarm is nearly always accompanied 
by the old queen. We know better now, since we consider 
the age of the queen as one of the qualities of a colony. 
448. After-swarms are much more prone to abscond or 
