NATURAL SWARMING. 215 



though the weather be but indifferent, or to have the 

 senior queen engaged in mortal combat with her 

 rapidly maturing rivals." 



Bevan again remarks : "In 1830, the rapidity with 

 which second swarms succeeded the first was as re- 

 markable as their tardiness in 1829. Mr. Golding in 

 the former year had two colonies in which piping 

 commenced on the third day, and in one of them the 

 second swarm issued on the fourth. The weather 

 had proved so very unfavorable, that the old queens 

 deferred emigrating as long as they well could;" 

 being nearly up to the time of maturity of the young 

 queens. 



In some peculiarly favorable localities, and in very 

 propitious seasons, a prime top-swarm will send off 

 another swarm the same season. This is of frequent 

 occurrence in California, and perhaps in many of the 

 Southern States, but rarely happens here. 



"In this case," says Mr. Bevan, "it usually occurs 

 between the twenty-eighth and thirtieth days of its 

 establishment, and the only indication of the approach 

 of such an issue, besides those already enumerated, 

 is the worker combs, with which first swarms gen- 

 erally store their hives, becoming edged with a few 

 drone cells," in which drone brood may be found. 



The apiary should be carefully watched when after- 

 swarms are expected, as the outside indications are 

 not such as to attract the attention of the casual 

 observer. Sometimes they issue early in the morn- 

 ing or late in the evening. Should two or more 

 second or third swarms issue on the same day, it is 



