io6 The Honey-Makers 



Individual bees differ as much as colonies in the quality 

 of their temper, and while one may be altogether " ram- 

 bunctious " others from the same hive may not be so at all. 



When one entertains bees on the window-pane there is 

 good opportunity to observe the readiness with which they 

 resent a fancied menace. 



Of all bees honey-bees seem the most irascible. Touch 

 one and quick as a flash out comes its sting. 



They even gather bees they meet on their prison pane in 

 a deadly embrace, the two strangers locking arms, so to 

 speak, and politely driving at each other with their stings. 

 But when this little neighborly greeting has been exchanged, 

 if one does not succeed in piercing the other they frequently 

 part friends, like men after a duel, one feeding the other in 

 the most hospitable manner. 



All the wickedness in a bee seems to be concentrated in 

 its sting end ; its heart may be good, but its sting is utterly 

 bad and will fulfil its vengeful desires even when separated 

 from the bee. 



If a sting which has been newly extracted, either by the 

 bee itself in a destructive paroxysm of anger, or by the 

 operator after her ladyship the bee has been duly and mer- 

 cifully chloroformed, be placed upon the finger, a very 

 curious result follows. 



Watching the organ through a magnifying lens one is 

 interested in the involuntary muscular movements, but 

 presently a very suggestive prick calls attention to the 

 pointed end, and lo ! this isolated sting is at work upon its 

 own account. It has managed to insert the barbs into your 

 skin and, with all its powers rallied for one last act of 

 requital, is driving the weapon home! 



This is amusing until you undertake to extract the venom- 

 ous atom in time to avoid the poisoning scene in the last 

 act, when you find the barbs have done their work also, and 



