258 miner's AMERICAN 



ready at once to go on with the increase of her family ; 

 whereas, a young one would suffer the casualties of de- 

 lay in her impregnation, and thus endanger the Existence - 

 of the colony ; and the issue of more than one swarm 

 being a precarious matter, it is a wise dispensation in the 

 nature of this insect, that the old queen is compelled to 

 leave the hive with the first swarm. I say compelled, 

 yes, actually compelled to go forth ! Never was there 

 an instance known, where she remained behind, and a 

 young queen took her place. The reason lies here ; — 

 the moment a young queen is matured and commences 

 piping, that is, says peep, peep, which may often be 

 heard, it is biecause she is in duress, or in other words, 

 - she is held in confinement, and fed by the workers. 

 When this takes place, the old queen is aroused, and in 

 her anger, she attempts to get at the royal cells to de- 

 stroy the young queens that are ready to emerge, and 

 she is restrained by the workers. In her desperation and 

 agitation that seems to dementate her, finding that she 

 is not permitted to immolate her young, she rushes out 

 of the hive, calling in her train a portion of the family, 

 being resolved to remain no longer, where her authority 

 is rendered nugatory. It is not wholly the loss of her 

 absolute authority that causes her to depart, but it is 

 also a fear and dread of encountering her rivals to the 

 throne, that also has an influence in causing her to rush 

 from her tenement. When the time arrives for her de- 

 parture, she commences a sudden vibration of the wings, 

 and rushes over every part of the combs with the ut- 

 most speed, and her subjects, in her trail, catch the 



