184 ARTIFICIAL SWARMING. 



thus the parent stock would be so depopulated that many of 

 the young would perish for want of suitable attention. It 

 is a well ascertained fact that bees, when their hive is 

 Tnoved to a new spot, or when they are forcibly expelled 

 from it, do not adhere to the new place, as they always do 

 when they swarm of their own accord. In each case, it is 

 true, that as soon as a bee leaves its new place, it flies with 

 its head turned towards the hive, in order to mark the sur- 

 rounding objects, that it may be able to return to the same 

 spot ; but when they have not emigrated of their own free 

 will, many of them, when they rise into the air, or return 

 from their work, unless removed to a distance beyond the 

 limits of their previous excursions, seem entirely to forget 

 that their location has been changed ; they return to the 

 place where they have lived so long, and often die on the 

 deserted, yet home-like spot. When they swarm of their 

 own accord, they seldom, if ever, make such a mistake. It 

 may be truly said that 



■'~- , " A ' bee removed ' against his will, 



Is of the same opinion still." 



Scientific Apiarians have for some years been largely 

 and laboriously experimenting, to ascertain how, if pos- 

 sible, to make a forced swarm, or a colony whose posi- 

 tion has been changed, adhere just like a natural swarm to 

 their new location. Some recommend subjecting the ex- 

 pelled bees, for a minute, to a bath of lukewarm water, and 

 then letting them, when they recover in the sun, crawl into 

 their new hive. I have tried this, but without success. 

 Others carry the bees a considerable distance from home, 

 remove their queen, and make them take wing and cluster 

 around her, just like a natural swarm. This involves too 

 much labor. I have, in my experiments on this point, made a 

 discovery which I turn to very important uses ; having as- 



