BEE 
BEE 
care. Thus attended, and plentifully fed, the 
worm, in lefs than fix days,, arrives at it's proper 
growth, when it no longer accepts the offered 
food. When the other Bees perceive that it 
has no farther occafion to be thus fed, they per- 
form the laft office of their tender regard, by fhut- 
ting up the little animal in it's cell, and walling 
up the mouth of it's apartment with wax; and, 
having thus fecured it from every external injuiy, 
they leave it. No fooner, however, is the worm 
thus enclofed, than, from a ftate of ina£livity, it 
begins to labour, extending and fhortening it's body; 
and, by this means, lining the walls of it's apart- 
ment with a kind of filken tapeftry, which it fpins 
after the manner of caterpillars before they undergo 
their laft transformation. When, the cell is thus 
prepared, the animal is foon transformed into an 
aureiia ; but different from that of the common ca- 
terpillar,, as it exhibits not only the legs, but alfo 
tht wings, of the fiiture Bee, in it's prefent ftate of 
confinement. Thus, in about twenty days after 
the egg is laid, the Bee is compleatly formed, 
and fitted to undergo the fatigues of it's ftate; and 
all it's parts having acquired their proper ftrength 
and confiftence, the young animal burfts from it's 
prifon, by piercing with it's teeth the waxen door 
which confines it. When juft freed from it^s cell, 
it is moift, and feems to be incommoded with the 
fpoilsof it's former fituation; but a band of officious 
Bees is foon feen to flock round it, and to lick it 
clean on all fides with their trunks; another, with 
equal afTiduity, is cbferved to feed it with honey; 
and a third begins to cleanfe the cell that has juft 
been left, to carry the ordure out of the hive, and 
to fix a place for the new inhabitant.. The young 
Bee, however, foon repays their care by it's in^ 
duftry; for, as foon as it's external parts become 
dry, it difcovers it's natural propenfity to labour, 
and induftrioufly begins it's tafl<, which it unre- 
Enittingly purfues through life. 
The little infeft, thus properly equipped for duty 
by it's fellow-labourers, and at the fame time in- 
ftru(5led by nature, goes in queft of flowers; chuf- 
ing thofe Avhich are calculated to yield it a fupply, 
and rejefting fuch as are either deftitute of honey, 
©r have been drained already by other adventurers : 
and, when loaded, is never at a lofs to find it's way 
back to the common habitation. After the firftfally,. 
it begins to gather the mealy powder that is con- 
tained in even/ flower, and is afterwards converted 
into wax; and, the very firft day on which it com- 
mences it's labours, it returns to the hive with two 
large balls of this fubftance fticking to it's thighs. 
When the Bees begin to break their pnfons, 
there are generally about a hundred liberated in 
one day; and thus, in the fpace of a few weeks, 
the number of the inhabitants of one hive becomes 
fo great, that there is no room for the new-comers, 
v/ho are fcarcely all excluded from their cells, when 
they are obliged by the old Bees to iffue forth in 
queft of new habitations: however, while there 
is room enough in the hive, the Bees remain 
quietly together ^ and necelTity alone occafions a 
reparation. SomiCtimes, indeed, the young brood 
refufe to depart, and even venture to refift: their 
progenitors. The young Bees are diftinguifhed 
by being browner than the old ones, and by be- 
ing covered with white hair; and the old ones are 
of a light colour, with red hair. The two armies 
are therefore eafily diftinguifhablc; and though 
dreadful battles often enfue between them, the ye- 
terans generally prove vidorious. 
The fwafms make their appearance at different 
feafons of the year, and according to the variatiort 
of the climate; of which migrations tliere are fe- 
vcral general prognoftics. The night preceding, 
an unufual buzzinsr is heard in the hive; and the 
next morning, though the weather be foft and in- 
viting, they feem not to obey die call, being intent 
on more importajit bufinefs within : all labour is 
difcontinued in the hive; and every Bee isemployed 
in forcing, or reluctantly yielding, a fubmiffion. 
At length, after fome noife and tumult, a queen 
Bee is chofen, to guard, rather than conduft, the 
young colony to other habitations ; and then they 
are marfhalled without any apparent condudlor. 
In lefs than a minute, they leave their native 
abode; and, forming an orb round their pro- 
teftrefs, they fet off, without feeming to know the 
place of their deftination, or having any pre-con- 
certed rout. The ufual time of fwarming is from 
ten in the morning till three in the afternoon, 
when the fun fhines bright, and invites them to> 
feek their fortunes. They flutter for a while in the 
air, and fometimes undertake a diftant j.ourney ; bur 
more frequently are contented with fome neigh- 
bouring afylum, the branch of a tree, the top of a 
chimney, or fome other expofed fituation. 
It is remarkable, that all animals which have 
been long under the protection of -man, feem to 
lofe a part of their natural fagacity in providing 
for themfelves. In thofe countries where the 
Bees are wild, and unprotedled by man,, they are 
always fure to build their waxen cells in the hol- 
lows of trees ; but with us they appear improvi- 
dent in tlieir choice; and the firft green branch 
which ftops their flight, is deemed fufficient for 
their abode. It does not even appear that the 
queen chufes the place where they are to alight j 
for numbers of the fwarm, when they conceive a 
predileftion for any particular branch, fpontane- 
oufly fettle on it; others follow their example j 
and at laft the queen herfelf, finding the majority, 
of the fwarm convened together, condefcends to 
place, herfelf among them. The queen being fet- 
tled, the reft of the fwarm foon flock around her j 
and, in about a quarter of an Iiour, the whole body 
feems to be perfeftly at reft. 
It fometimes happens that two or three queens; 
prefide over a fwarm ; in which cafe the colony is 
divided into parties : but as one particular queerj 
has generally more influence than the others, the 
Bees gradually defert the weakeft, andflielter them- 
felves under tJieir moft powerful proteftor. The 
deferted queens do not long ftirvive this treatment j 
but, taking refuge under the new fovereign, they 
are foon difpatched through the jealoufy of their 
rival. Till this cruel execution is performed, the 
Bees never begin their labours ; and, ftiould a queen 
Bee belonging to the new colony be left in the old 
hive, fhe is lure to undergo the fame fate. How- 
ever, the Bees never facrifice any of their queens 
while the hive is full of wax and honeyj for, un- 
der fttch circumftances, they are aware that there 
can be no. danger in maintaining a plurality of 
breeders.. 
The fwarm being condudred to a place of fafe- 
ty, and the policy of government fettled, the Bees 
foon refume their accuftomed labours; and the for- 
mation of cells for the reception of honey and of the 
rifing progeny, as well as the impregnation of the 
queen, now employ their unceafing induftry . . But,, 
towards the latter end of fummer, when the colony 
is fufficiently ftocked v,'ith inhabitants, a cruel, 
though 
