PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 



165 



In Mungo Park's last mission to Africa, he was much 

 annoyed by the attack of bees, probably of the same tribe 

 with our hive-bee. His people, in search of honey, disturbed 

 a large colony of them. The bees sallied forth by myriads, 

 and attacking men and beasts indiscriminately put them all 

 to the rout. One horse and six asses were either killed or 

 missing in consequence of their attack ; and for half an hour 

 the bees seemed to have completely put an end to their 

 journey. Isaaco upon another occasion lost one of his asses, 

 and one of his men was almost killed by them. 1 



Bees, however, if they are not molested, are not usually 

 ill-tempered : if you make a captive of their queen, they will 

 cluster upon your head, or any other part of your body, and 

 never attempt to sting you. I remember, when a boy, seeing 

 the celebrated Wildman exhibit many feats of this kind, to 

 the great astonishment and apprehension of the uninformed 

 spectators. The writer lately quoted (Thorley) was assisted 

 once by his maid-servant to hive a swarm. Being rather 

 afraid, she put a linen cloth as a defence over her head and 

 shoulders. When the bees were shaken from the tree on 

 which they had alighted, the queen probably settled upon 

 this cloth ; for the whole swarm covered it, and then, getting 

 under it, spread themselves over her face, neck, and bosom, 

 so that when the cloth was removed she was quite a spectacle. 

 She was with great difficulty kept from running off with all 

 the bees upon her; but at length her master quieted her 

 fears, and began to search for the queen. He succeeded, 

 and hoped when he put her into the hive that the bees would 

 follow; but they only seemed to cluster more closely. 

 Upon a second search he found another queen (unless the 

 same had escaped and returned), whom seizing, he placed in 

 the hive. The bees soon missed her, and crowded after her 

 into it : so that in the space of two or three minutes not one 

 was left upon the poor terrified girl. After this escape, she 

 became quite a heroine, and would undertake the most 

 hazardous employments about the hives. 2 



i Park's Last Mission, 153. 297. Comp. Journal, 331. 

 a Thorley, 150. 



M 3 



