FOUNDATION OF A BEE COLONY 27 



the royal cell with the object of destroying the 

 young virgin. Being prevented by the workers 

 from doing this, she at last rushes out of the hive, 

 and all the older members of the population go 

 with her. The scene on such an occasion as 

 this is one of the most exciting that can be 

 imagined. If one is watching a hive that is 

 expected to swarm, say about noon on a fine 

 warm day, there will not appear to be anything 

 very unusual going on. In fact, the hive generally 

 appears rather quieter than usual, on account of 

 the fact that, in anticipation of the event, the 

 larger number of foragers, instead of speeding 

 their way to the fields in great haste, are lounging 

 round and filling themselves with honey. If the 

 hive is very populous indeed and the weather 

 hot, large clusters of bees will often be found 

 hanging round outside. A few younger bees go 

 off from time to time to seek for honey. A few 

 others are coming back laden, but on the whole 

 the hive presents an exceedingly indolent appear- 

 ance. 



All at once, however, the scene changes. A loud 

 buzzing is heard in the hive, and the bees begin 

 to pour out as fast as they can burst through the 

 entrance. In a few moments the air is filled with 

 a flying, tumultuous crowd, and the sound of 

 thousands of vibrant wings raises the onlooker to 

 a pitch of excitement hardly exceeded by that of 

 the bees themselves. 



