418 ANGER OF BEES. 



which excites a whole colony to a pitch of ungovernable 

 fury. Such operations are never necessary ; and a skillful 

 Apiarian will, by availing himself of the principles laid 

 dovirn in this Treatise, both easily and safely do everything 

 required in the whole range of bee-keeping. 



When bees are improperly dealt with, they will "com- 

 pass " their assailant " about," with the most savage ferocity, 

 and woe be to him if they can creep up his clothes, or find 

 on his person a single unprotected spot ! On the contrary, 

 when not provoked by foolish management or wanton abuse, 

 the few who are bent on mischief, appear still to retain some 

 touch of grace, amid all their desperation. Like the thorough 

 bred scold, who by the elevated pitch of her voice, often 

 gives timely warning to those who would escape from the 

 sharp sword of her tongue, a bee bent upon mischief raises 

 its note almost an oj^lave above the peaceable pitch, and 

 usually gives us timely warning, that it means to sting, if it 

 can. Even then, unless the whole colony has been mad- 

 dened by accident or injudicious treatment, it will seldom 

 proceed to extremities, unless it can leave its sting some- 

 where upon the face of its victim, and usually as near as 

 possible to the eye ; for bees, like all other members of the 

 stinging tribe, seem to have, as it were, an intuitive percep- 

 tion that this is the most vulnerable spot upon the " human 

 face divine." If the head is quietly lowered, and the face 

 covered with the hands, they will often follow a person for 

 some rods, all the time sounding their war note in his ears, 

 taunting him for his sneaking conduct, and daring him, just 

 for one single moment, to look up and allow them to catch 

 but a glimpse of his coward face ! 



If a person is suddenly attacked by angry bees, no matter 

 how numerous or vindictive they may be, not the slightest 

 attempt should ever be made to act on the offensive. If a 



