80 THE WEAPON OF DEFENCE 



When honey is coming in rapidly, bees are always 

 very amiable. They seem to consider that, so 

 long as there is plenty obtainable outside, the loss 

 of a little of their stores is not serious ; but 

 the moment the nectar-producing flowers have 

 dried up, it is quite another matter. Caution 

 must then be used in any attempts to take the 

 honey. 



All sorts of devices have from time to time 

 been invented and suggested in order to do away 

 with stings altogether. The most ancient and 

 still the most satisfactory is that of frightening 

 the bees with smoke. A good volume of smoke 

 poured into a hive makes the bees most ex- 

 cited. They buzz tremendously, and run hither 

 and thither, their one aim being to fill them- 

 selves with honey, doubtless with the idea that 

 if this foul atmosphere continues, they will 

 have to make tracks shortly and may as well 

 go with full bellies. If we open a hive and puff 

 smoke in, the bees are seen to run to the nearest 

 open cells, plunge their heads in, and suck up 

 the honey. By the time they have imbibed a good 

 quantity they are feeling very amiable, and bees 

 that previously showed signs of making a vigor- 

 ous resistance to the invasion will become as 

 tame as flies, crawling harmlessly about the 

 hands and person of the operator. 



The natives of West Africa are said to make use 

 of this method of getting honey from the nests 



