BEE-KEEPER S MANUAL. 339 



from one to another, is beyond doubt. By what means 

 it is done, has never been fully established ; yet it is 

 pretty generally admitted, that it is by means of the an- 

 tennae. The antennae are also the organs of smell, and 

 of recognition of bees of the same, or different families. 

 Besides the antennae as a medium of communication, a 

 certain noise produced by the wings, is another mode 

 of imparting knowledge, as I alluded to, in regard to 

 families finding thefr hive, when dislodged, and their 

 tenement, with a portion of the family, being removed 

 to a distant situation. Having a swarm that lay out 

 upon a sheet one night, and exposed to a drenching 

 shower, I found them in the morning with only the out- 

 side bees drenched, and the majority were in a condi- 

 tion to be hived. There were several clusters of them, 

 and having made the larger portions enter the hive, I 

 aroused the small ones, within a few feet of it, and as 

 quick as the hive was perceived by them, and a portion 

 of the bees entering, they commenced fluttering their 

 wings, and started rapidly towards it. Other clusters 

 that lay perfectly still, when the first one gave the soufid, 

 instantly started from their lethargy, and followed their 

 companions into the hive. Here is positive proof, that 

 the sound emitted or produced, was a call to enter the 

 hive, or giving information of one being at hand. 



Although out of place, I will here give an omission 

 in the chapter on swarming, which led to my having a 

 swarm of bees lying out all night. It is said, that in ex- 

 tensive bee-ga'rdens in Poland, where many swarms issue 

 at the same time, and preclude the possibility of hiving 



