278 



RECREATION. 



are always liberated according to 

 seniority. It has been claimed that 

 no guards are ever placed around 

 the cells of the mute queens. This is a 

 mistake. Bees are too sensible to 

 risk the welfare of their community 

 in such hap-hazard manner. It some- 

 times happens that two of these 

 artificial queens appear at once. 

 This also happens, sometimes, with 

 real queens. When there is only one 

 artificial queen there is, really, no 

 necessity for a guard, yet 2 or 3 

 bees may be seen near this royal 

 cell all the time. It my opinion the 

 artificial, or, if I may use the term, 

 manufactured queens, are more 

 carefully guarded than are the real 

 queens. 



life 



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WORKER AND CELLS. 



If a queen is detained in a hive by 

 stormy weather, which always pre- 

 vents swarming, her horror of the 

 royal cells and their occupants is 

 strongly manifested. She generally 

 succeeds in killing some of the young 

 queens, but soon ceases her murder- 

 ous onslaughts and rushes frantically 

 about the hive, carrying consterna- 

 tion and dismay wherever she goes. 

 She will leave the hive the moment 

 the weather becomes propitious. As 

 soon as a queen is received as the ac- 

 cepted communal mother by a hive 

 of bees, she becomes the object ol 

 their constant and unremitting atten- 

 tions. They pay her homage and, at 

 the sound of her voice, bow down in 



abject humility. No matter what they 

 may be doing, if the queen utters this 

 peculiar piping cry, every bee who 

 hears it stops as if paralyzed, bows 

 her head, and remains for several sec- 

 onds without motion. Then, slowly 

 and timidly, they raise their heads 

 and resume their interrupted occupa- 

 tions. 



If a queen is removed from a hive 

 the bees, at first, do not seem to no- 

 tice it. In about an hour they begin 

 to show some signs of perturbation. 

 They run about in great agitation. 

 Those who first discover their loss, 

 cross antennae with others and com- 

 municate their sad tidings to them. 

 Soon the whole hive is in an uproar. 

 Workers rush to the entrance, fly out- 

 side, circle around several times, as 

 though searching for the beloved 

 mother, and then return to the hive. 

 This tumult lasts for several hours 

 and then gradually quiets down. 

 They remain apathetic and discon- 

 solate for about 24 hours, and then 

 begin the process of rearing another 

 queen, artificially, from worker larvae. 

 If, after being removed, the old queen 

 is restored to the hive, the bees at 

 once recognize her and pay her every 

 attention. If a strange queen is given 

 them during the first 12 hours of their 

 mourning, they keep her close pris- 

 oner until she dies. If 24 hours have 

 elapsed and a strange queen be given 

 them, the first bees to notice her will 

 examine her carefully, pass their 

 tongues over her body and stroke her 

 with their antennae. The circle of bees 

 increases and all vibrate their wings 

 and produce a loud hum. The other 

 bees hear and come to see what is 

 going on. The intelligence is rap- 

 idly transmitted through the whole 

 company, which salute her with rap- 

 turous applause and declare her com- 

 munal mother. When she begins to 

 move, the circle opens to let her pass 

 and all follow her footsteps. 



Reaumer put some bees into a hive 

 without their queen, and then gave 

 them one that was half dead from the 

 cold. He had kept her in a box for 

 some time, in which there was a little 

 powdered chalk. She had become 



