AGUE OF THE BEES. 185 



queen bee had the ague, that all the common bees should 

 have the ague also; and in fact, according to the ocular ob- 

 servation of Mr. Huber, the shaking and shivering, the trem- 

 bling and the agitation of the bees became so obstreperous, 

 so outrageous, and so subversive of all regular order, that 

 they were to be seen hurrying and skurrying about, and 

 dancing and jigging, as if they had been bitten by a Ta- 

 rantula. Not Pandemonium itself, when Satan convoked 

 his rebellious spirits, could have presented a scene of greater 

 hubbub and confusion, than this ill-fated hive now exhibited. 

 The aguish fit increased with every moment, and the bees 

 finding at last, that it was likely to be augmented past all 

 endurance, simultaneously rushed out of the hive, and settled 

 on a tree in the garden. 



This, according to Huber, must be considered as the 

 veritable rise and progress of a swarm, but the most amusing 

 part of the history yet remains to be told ; and rich as 

 Huber has shown himself in singularities, in fiction, and 

 invention, the following extraordinary occurrences may be 

 classed as the alpha of them. In the majority of cases, 

 which have come within the sphere of our experience, in- 

 deed we may add universally, the queen conducts the 

 swarm ; but in the present case, she is not permitted either 

 to conduct it or to follow it. It is evident from Mr. Huber's 

 statement, that the life of this young queen must by no 

 means have been a very enviable one, which, however, did 

 not proceed from any malice or revenge on the part of the 

 bees, but from her own wayward and imprudent conduct, 

 for what other queen but herself would have been so stupid 

 and doltish as to attempt to pass between two royal cells 

 before they had been abandoned by the guards ? She must 

 have been aware of the danger of such an act, and therefore 

 her foolhardiness was inexcusable. Such, however, was the 

 fate of this maltreated queen, according to the undoubted 

 observation of Mr. Huber ; for on passing between the 

 i 5 



