BEES AND WASPS IN THE PUNJAB. 233 
It will be readily understood from these remarks that these 
farmers have not yet any idea of what is known by us as “ arti- 
ficial ’’swarming ; they, indeed, leave everything as far as possible 
to Nature. When they swarm they follow the bees until they 
settle, and then hastily searching for the queen bee they clip 
her wings, place her in a “ chatty ” or earthenware pot smeared 
with honey, when the whole swarm speedily collect round their 
queen and they are conveyed back to the hive. As a rule the 
people have no particular attachment to their bees, as with us, 
but seem to dread them at all times, and never venture to 
approach them whilst swarming unless protected by a blanket. 
It sometimes happens that the swarms proceed to great 
distances from their home, and as this occurs mostly in the day 
time when the farmers are away in their fields, they have some 
difficulty in tracing the whereabouts of their bees. In such a 
case recourse is made to a man termed a “ beehunter ” ; there 
are generally one or two of these experts in a village, who almost 
invariably discover and bring back the swarm. These men are, 
from long practice, very skilful in finding out the positions in the 
jungle of the wild bees. They take with them three slender 
sticks and a small earthernware cup called a “ tohee,” in which 
is contained a mixture of sugar or honey and water. Thus 
equipped they look out for a spot where there may be a spring of 
water, or some damp ground, for it is well known that bees 
frequent such places to obtain water to work up their several 
materials, such as combs, honey, &c. Here arrived they set up 
a tripod out of the three sticks and place the tohee upon it, sit 
down and wait patiently for bees. 
It is not long before, from their strong sense of smell, the 
bees alight on the tohee. The man permits a few to relish the 
nectar and depart, keeping a good look out for the direction 
they take. He then captures two or three and appends to their 
waists a piece of thin cotton thread, by which he is the better 
able to follow their flight through the jungles, and come upon 
the combs. One Esah Khan w^as well known to Mr. Thomas 
Barlow as highly skilful in hunting for bees, and never failed 
in tracing their combs, and obtaining the wild honey for sale. 
On the Salt Range in the Punjab, and in the low hills of the 
Peshawar and Rawal Pindi districts there are several species 
of bees, large and small, from which wild honey is obtained. 
Some of the combs are found on the highest trees, others con- 
cealed in bushes. The wild honey is preferred to that procured 
from bees in a domesticated state, the natives being of opinion 
that the heat of a “ domestic hive ” robs it of its fragrance and 
colour. That which is stored by wild bees of the smaller species 
is held in the highest esteem. 
Should the wild bees gather their honey from the “ acacia ’ 
blossoms, called by the natives the “ phoolai ” tree, or from the 
bush known in the vernacular as “ vahekur,” the value of the 
honey is vastly enhanced. 
