250 THE LORE OF THE HONEY BEE 



taking place in mid-air, of the kings leading forth 

 their hosts of warriors — the din of carnage — the 

 wounded and dying falling like rain out of the blue 

 of the summer sky. These descriptions have 

 always been a great puzzle to modern students of 

 bee-life, because nothing of the kind seems to take 

 place at the present day. Each hive goes about 

 its business, apparently in complete disregard of 

 the existence of other hives. Neither at home, 

 nor abroad in the fields, are reprisals ever wit- 

 nessed among bees, whether singly or collectively. 

 The most peaceable creature in the world is the 

 honey-bee, except in the single case when her home 

 is being wantonly assailed. 



But in autumn frequent encounters take place 

 between robber-bees and the hive they are attack- 

 ing, and one is constrained to believe that it is of 

 this Virgil writes. 



Perhaps when once a stock has discovered that 

 stealing honey is a much quicker and easier 

 method of obtaining it than by the laborious pro- 

 cess of gathering, these particular bees will never 

 again be won back to honest courses. Not only 

 will the parent hive continue to break out in this 

 way at the close of every season, but all swarms 

 from the same hive are certain to develop the like 

 tendencies. The strain will be a continual source 

 of annoyance and loss to the bee-master, and, if 

 he be wise, he will take the shortest and surest 

 way of putting an end to the trouble, by promptly 



