228 NATOBAL SWARMING. 



447. It frequently happens, in the agitation of swarm- 

 ing, that the usual guard over the queen-cells is withdrawn, 

 and several hatch at the same time, and accompany the col- 

 ony ; in which case the bees often alight in two or more 

 separate clusters. In our observing-hives, we have repeat- 

 edly seen young queens thrust out their tongues from a 

 hole in their cell, to be fed by the bees. If allowed to issue 

 at will, they are pale and weak, like other young bees, and 

 for some time unable to fly ; but if confined the usual time, 

 they come forth fully colored, and ready for all emergen- 

 cies. We have seen them issue in this state, while the 

 excitement caused by removing the combs from a hive, has 

 driven the guard from their cells. 



The following remarkable instance came under our obser- 

 vation, in Matamoras, Mexico : A second swarm deserting 

 its abode the second day after being hived, settled upon a 

 tree. On examining the abandonedhive,j^i;e young queens 

 were found lying dead on its bottom-board. The swarm 

 was returned, and, the next morning, two more dead queens 

 were found. As the colony afterwards prospered, eight 

 queens, at least, must have left the parent-colony in a single 

 swarm ! 



Young queens, whose ovaries are not burdened with eggs, 

 are much quicker on the wing than old ones, and frequently 

 fly much farther fiom the parent-stock before they alight. 



447 (bis). The bee-keepers of old, who were not ac- 

 quainted with the habits of bees, noticing that primary- 

 swarms were more populous than after-swarms, used to 

 brimstone (376) the old colony which bad swarmed, and 

 its after-swarm, considering the first swarm as the best of 

 the three ; but this apparent superiority was often of short 

 duration, for the first swarm is nearly always accompanied 

 by the old queen. We know better now, since we consider 

 the age of the queen as one of the qualities of a colony. 



448. After-swarms are much more prone to abscond or 



