The Swarm 163 



the eye and a soft chorus of myriad musical sounds to the 

 ear. 



" This way and that they drift, now contracting, now 

 expanding, rising, sinking, growing thick about some branch 

 or bush, then dispersing and massing at some other point, 

 till finally they begin to alight in earnest, when in a few 

 moments the whole swarm is collected upon the branch, 

 forming a bunch perhaps as large as a two-gallon measure." 



All the pleasures of the chase may be experienced in 

 pursuing a swarm of runaway bees ; and whether the game 

 is bagged or not, the hunter's hands are clean of useless 

 slaughter, and his blood set in as active motion as though 

 the quarry had run on four legs. 



Burroughs tells us of such an experience. The issuing 

 swarm had been properly hived, — 



" But something offended them, or else the tree in the 

 woods — perhaps some royal old maple or birch holding its 

 head high above all others, with snug, spacious, irregular 

 chambers and galleries — had too many attractions ; for 

 they were presently discovered filling the air over the 

 garden and whirling excitedly around. Gradually they 

 began to drift over the street; a moment more, and 

 they had become separated from the other bees, and, 

 drawing together in a more compact mass or cloud, 

 away they went, a humming, flying vortex of bees, the 

 queen in the centre, and the swarm revolving around her 

 as a pivot, — over meadows, across creeks and swamps, 

 straight for the heart of the mountain, about a mile dis- 

 tant, — slow at first, so that the youth who gave chase kept 

 up with them, but increasing their speed till only a fox- 

 hound could have kept them in sight. I saw their pursuer 

 laboring up the side of the mountain, saw his white shirt- 

 sleeves gleam as he entered the woods ; but he returned a 

 few hours afterward without any clew as to the particular 



