170. «= Of the Artificial Swarming of Bees, 
be almoft certain of ruining fome hives in 
their firft attempts. * But, by carefully obferv- 
ing the following direGions, the moft inexpe- 
rienced bee-mafter may foon come to the prac- 
tical knowledge of the art, and thereby avoid 
fuch blunders as would prove-deiftructive to 
his bees. 
Casel, Sometimes, when two {warms meet, ¢ 3 
a dreadful battle enfues, on account of there - 
being two Queens among them. Rach party. a 
feems determined to defend their own Queen be. 
and mother at the-rifls of. their lives. © Their 
fury generally lafts till one of the Queens is 
flain, after which a peace commonly ” takes 
plate, and the two. bands unite “harmoniov u 
in one community”. 
* In thefe conflicts, it 1s aftonithing to fee what de 
havock they make in a very fhort time, In my younger years, ua 
have feen above 1000 of thefe brave winged foldiers lying welter- 
and 
"ing in their gore, within the {pace of ten minutes, The Queen 
of one or both {warms is often feized inftantaneoully, and mur- — 
dered. On fuch occafions, I have feen above an hunitend bees, 
all wrapt together in a clufter, of the fize of a fmall apple, and fo 
firmly compacted together around the body of a Oupaal that it 
was with the utmoft difficulty I could feparate them from her, 
Moft writers are of opinion, that the bees, which thus clufter 
round a Queen, are her enemies, and that their being fo clofely 
compaéied together about her proceeds from the keen enmity, 
of 
