172 The Honey-Makers 



Opportunity, then seizes a bee, and carries her away, as the 

 Hawk does the little Bird." 



Sad to relate, bees often fight with, their neighbors and 

 steal their honey, and they have been known to drain the 

 nest of the bumble-bee of its stores. Yea, they even 

 catch the home-coming borabus and torment her, four or 

 five of them pulling her wings and biting her until she opens 

 her mouth and yields up the very drop she is carrying. It 

 is said the bumble-bees do not resist these onslaughts from 

 their smaller and more intelligent neighbors. 



Hive-bees do resent the intrusion of robbers from other 

 hives, however, and there sometimes occur terrific battles 

 on this account. This was known to the ancients, and 

 according to Pliny, — 



" If food happens to fail the inhabitants of any particular 

 hive, the swarm makes a concerted attack upon a neighbor- 

 ing one, with the view of plundering it. The swarm that 

 is thus attacked at once ranges itself in battle array, and if 

 the bee-keeper should happen to be present, that side 

 which perceives itself favored by him will refrain from 

 attacking him. They often fight, too, for other reasons as 

 well, and the two generals are to be seen drawing up their 

 ranks in battle-array against their opponents. The dispute 

 generally arises in culling from the flowers, when each, the 

 moment that it is in danger, summons its companions to 

 its aid. The battle, however, is immediately put an end to 

 by throwing dust among them, or raising a smoke." 



Bee-keepers in this age cannot rely upon immunity from 

 attack by the swarm they desire to favor, nor are modern 

 bees led in battle by their " generals " nor any governing 

 power excepting their own insatiable desire to sting what- 

 ever living thing they can get hold of. 



Fights between swarms are terrible affairs in which one 

 would do well not to interfere without careful preparation. 



