BEE-KEEPER S MANUAL. 285 



issued from her apiary, and without clustering, pro- 

 ceeded slowly across the fields to the house of a neigh- 

 bor, about half a mile off. Their progress was so slow, 

 that she was able to follow them all the distance, with- 

 out losing sight of them. They entered the house at 

 an aperture under the roof. She returned home, and 

 in a few minutes another swarm issued, and took the 

 same course without clustering; and she again.foUowed 

 after them, and just as she arrived, the last of the latter 

 truant swarm were entering the same aperture where 

 the first swarm entered. This is rather a singular case, 

 since it is very rare to have swarms issue and depart 

 without clustering. Clustering seems to be necessary, 

 in order to congregate the whole family prior to the 

 journey, when a flight is contemplated. Some apiarians 

 have recommended decoy hives ; that is, empty hives 

 placed about the apiary, in which it is supposed swarms 

 may enter. I have tried this experiment, but have 

 never found it to succeed. 



BEES COMMUNICATE ON THE WING. 



While bees are swarming, they have a peculiar power 

 of imparting information from one to another, while on 

 the wing. It is this power that calls, at a moment's 

 notice, the bees that cover many rods area to a focus, 

 when it is decided to cluster. I had a singular circum- 

 stance occur, the last season, of this nature. I had seve- 

 ral swarms issue and cluster on the same branch, at the 

 same time. I divided them in three parts, and hived 

 them separately, thinking that if I should happen to get 



