292 LOSS OF THE QUEEN. 



which he returns to the parent stock. Of this^ however, 

 there is little danger, if, in hiving the swarm, the bees were 

 shaken off in front of the hive, as the queen, under such 

 circuntistances, seldom fails to make, at once, for the hive, 

 and to enter as speedily as possible. 



It is interesting to see how rapidly a queen passes into the 

 hive, as soon as she recognizes the joyful note announcing 

 that the bees have found a home. She quickly follows in 

 the direction of the moving mass, and her long legs enable 

 her to outstrip, ia the race for possession, all who attempt to 

 follow her. Other bees linger around the entrance, or fly 

 into the air, or collect in listless knots on the sheet ; but a 

 fertile mother, marches straight forward, with an air of con- 

 scious importance, and looking neither to the right hand nor 

 the left, glides into the hive, with the same dispatchful haste, 

 that characterizes a bee, returning fully laden from the nectar* 

 bearing fields ! 



In the Chapter on Artificial Swarming, I omitted to men- 

 tion one method of forming such swarms, which may be 

 successfully practiced. It can only be used, however, where 

 the colonies stand at some distance from each other, and the 

 parent hive, and that which isintended for the forced swarm, 

 closely resemble each other, in shafke, size and color. After 

 the artificial colony is formed, both the new and old one should 

 be set, one a little to the right, and the other la the left, of the 

 old stand, so that the former entrance shall come between 

 them. This will ordinarily secure a proper division of the 

 bees, and if it does not, the one deficient in numbers, may be 

 moved a little nearer to the old entrance. Where the colo- 

 nies are so arranged as to permit of this method, it will be 

 found very effectual ; the only objection to it, being the fact, 

 that it often requires considerable time and jadgment, to ap- 

 portion the right number of bees to each colony. 



