ANGBK OF BEES. 407 



Others, I have frequently taken them up, by handfulls, suf- 

 fered them to run over my face, and even smoothed down 

 their glossy backs, as they rested on my person ! Standing 

 before the hives, I have, by a rapid sweep of my hands, 

 caught numbers of them at once, just as though they were 

 so many harmless flies, and allowed them, one by one, to 

 crawl out, by the smallest opening, to the light of day; and 

 I have even gone so far as to imitate many of the feats 

 which the celebrated English Apiarian, Wildman, was ac- 

 customed to perform ; who having once secured the queen 

 of a hive, could make the bees cluster on his head, or hang, 

 like a flowing beard, in large festoons, from his chin. Wild- 

 man, for a long time, made as great a mystery of his won- 

 derful performances, as the charlatan spirit-rappers of the 

 present day, do of theirs ; but at last, he was induced to 

 explain his whole mode of procedure ; and the magic con- 

 trol which he possessed over the bees, and which was, by 

 the ignorant, ascribed to his having bewitched them, was 

 found to be owing entirely to his superior acquaintance 

 with their instincts, and his uncommon dexterity and bold- 

 ness. 



" Such was the spell, which round a Wildman's arm, 

 Twin'd in dark wreaths the fascinated swarm ; 

 Bright o'er his breast the glittering legions led, 

 Or with a living garland bound,his head. 

 His dextrous hand, with firm yet hurtless hold, 

 Could seize the chief, known by her scales of gold, 

 Prune 'mid the wondering train her filmy wing, 

 Or o'er her folds the silken fetter fling." 



M. Lombard, a skillful French Apiarian narrates the fol- 

 lowing interesting occurrence, to show how peaceable bees 

 are in swarming time, and how easily managed by those 

 who have both skill and confidence. 



" A young girl of my acquaintance," he says, " was 



