The Swarm 
[ 34] 
As regards this personal affection of 
which we have spoken, there is one word 
more to be said. That such affection 
distracted, flies to and fro, hides, and generally com- 
ports herself as an intruder, thus arousing the suspicions 
of the bees, which are soon confirmed by the workers’ 
examination. Mr, Simmins at first completely isolates 
the queen he intends to introduce, and lets her fast for 
half an hour. ‘He then lifts a corner of the inner 
cover of the orphaned hive, and places the strange queen 
on the top of one of the combs. Her former isolation 
haying terrified her, she is delighted to find herself in 
the midst of the bees; and being famished she eagerly 
accepts the food they offer her. The workers, de- 
ceived by her assurance, do not examine her, but prob- 
ably imagine that their old queen has returned, and 
welcome her joyfully. It would seem, therefore, that, 
‘contrary to the opinion of Huber and all other inves- 
tigators, the bees are not capable of recognising their 
queen. In any event, the two explanations, which are 
both equally plausible — though the truth may lurk, 
perhaps, in a third, that is not yet known to us — 
only prove once again how complex and obscure is 
the psychology of the bee. And from this, as from all 
107 
