uouBiNG. 359 



agitation, once seen, can never be mistaken. It does not, 

 lilte tlie laborer carrying liome tlic fruits of honest toil, 

 alight boldly upon the entrance-board, or face the guards, 

 knowing well that, if caught by these trusty guardians, its 

 life would hardly be worth insuring. If it can glide by 

 without touching any of the sentinels, those within — taking 

 it for granted that all is right — usually permit it to help 

 itself. 



Bees which lose their way, and alight upon a strange 

 hive, can readily be distinguished from these thieving 

 scamps. The rogue, when caught, strives to pull away 

 from his executioners, while the bewildered unfortunate 

 shrinks into the smallest compass, submitting to any fate 

 his captors may award. 



These dishonest bees are the '■^ Jerry Sneaks" of their 

 profession, and after following it for a time, lose all taste 

 for honest pursuits. Constantly creeping through small 

 holes, and daubing themselves with honey, their plumes 

 assume a smooth and almost black appearance, just as the 

 hat and garments of a thievish loafer, acquire a "seedy" 

 aspect. 



Dzierzon thinks that these black bees, which Huber has 

 described as so bitterly persecuted by the rest, are nothing 

 more than thieves. Aristotle speaks of " a black bee which 

 is called a thief." 



Some bee-keepers question whether a bee that once 

 learns to steal ever returns to honest courses. The writer 

 has known the value of an Apiary to be so seriously im- 

 paired by the bees beginning early in the season to rob 

 each other, that the owner was often tempted to wish that 

 he had never seen a bee. 



666. Yet, we should hardly blame them for their rob- 

 bing propensities. With them, as with men, much depends 

 on the education which they are allowed to receive. Their 

 nature teaches them to hunt for sweets industriously, 



