THE HONEY-BEE. 
59 
may wish to repeat this experiment, we would 
recommend that they previously deprive the hee under 
operation of a portion of its sting, which may be easily 
done by forcing the insect to extrude it, and then 
snipping it olf about the middle with a pair of scissors ; 
the excision will not vitally injure the insect, and 
will give confidence to the experimenter. 
We cannot conclude this disquisition on the sense 
of smell in Bees, without gratifying our readers by 
extracting from Dr. Bevan’s work, a remarkable in- 
stance of its acuteness and delicacy ; and which had 
been communicated to him, by the son of the gentle- 
man who is the subject of it. It is generally believed 
that bees have an antipathy to particular individuals, 
arising, probably from some peculiar odour about 
them, which, though not discernible by, or unpleasant 
to mnn, may be so to this sensitive insect. “ M. de 
Hofer, Conseilleur d’ Etat du Grand Due de Baden, 
had for years been a proprietor and admirer of Bees, 
and rivalled Wildman, in the power he possessed of 
approaching them with impunity. He would at any 
time search for the queen, and taking hold of her 
gently, place her on his hand. But he was unfor- 
tunately attacked with a violent fever, and long con- 
fined by it. On his recovery, he attempted to resume 
his favourite amusement among the Bees, returning 
to them with all that confidence and pleasure which 
he had felt on former occasions ; when, to his great 
surprise and disappointment, he discovered that ho 
was no longer in possession of their favour; and 
that instead of being received by them as an old 
