XVI 



BEES AND THE WEATHER 



The connection between the occupants of the 

 hive and the changeable elements is a very close 

 one. It would be fairly safe to say that no animal 

 life is so entirely dependent on the nature of the 

 weather conditions, and hence bee-keepers have 

 from time to time associated certain weather with 

 particular phases of bee life. In some quarters, 

 indeed, it began to be believed that bees had a 

 kind of prescience in this matter, and could fore- 

 tell the weather with a certainty that man could 

 never hope to approach to. 



Since mankind has made a science of weather 

 recording and observing, we have changed all 

 that, and we now know that bees know no more 

 than we do, if so much, of the coming conditions. 

 Possibly being more closely dependent on it, they 

 formerly did know more than we, for as a species 

 mankind is not a closely observant animal, or if he 

 observes, he does not seem to have the right knack 

 of applying his observations. 



The old-fashioned bee-keepers used to say that 

 when swarms began to leave their hives, fine 



8 "3 



