SWARMS. 75 



while thefe flowers are in bloom, thereby 

 preventing the bees from iflfuing out to col- 

 lect it, thofe already hatched will be fbarved ; 

 and it will alfo delay a farther increafe, 

 until a more aufpicious change takes place. 

 If a fpring is not very cold, but wet, it will 

 not favour the production of royal brood ; 

 yet the common cells will be filled whhyoung, 

 but no addition of honey ; which will caufe 

 the bees to be very anxious to fwarm, and 

 very irritable, flying about the hive in con- 

 fufion and difeontent. I have feveral times 

 feen royal ceih in which the workers were 

 continually introducing their heads, I fup- 

 pofe, to feed the maggot; but, after a few 

 days, they entirely neglected them, probably 

 as being abortive. In fuch cafes no fwarm 

 can rife until another birth yields a princefs. 

 In fpring, when bees that are in no want 

 of food fuddenly give over carrying, it may 

 denote the unprolificnefs of the queen; and 

 if the hive contain but few bees, they had 

 better be united to another flock. 



In forward fprmgs, when the workers 



are few, but the queen very pregnant, me 



will be obliged to depofit her eggs fafter 



4 than 



