220 
GENERAL HONEY HARVEST. 
would have died of hunger had he not succoured 
them. In the meantime, while matters were going 
on so badly at Cour, the bees at Renan, Chabliere, 
Vaux, Cery, &c. — places at the distance of only half- 
a-league, — were living in the greatest abundance, 
threw numerous swarms, and filled their hives with 
honey and wax." This fact serves as an evidence 
that the flight of a bee, in ordinary cases, is less than 
two English miles ; though we readily admit that in 
some rare, though well authenticated instances, they 
have been known to fly double that distance. The 
general fact is farther confirmed by the following 
sentence in Huber’s letter : “ If my bees," he soys, 
“ could have cleared the interval which separated 
them from the places where they would have found 
provisions, they would assuredly have done so, rather 
than die of hunger. They succeeded no better at 
Vevai, although it is not more than half-a-lengue 
from that place to Hauteville, Chardonne, &c., where 
they throve remarkably well.” 
General Honey-Harvest . — About the beginning 
or middle of September, the transported hives are 
brought back to their usual station ; and in a few days, 
according to circumstances, the general honey-har- 
vest commences. The bees have relaxed greatly in 
their labours, — the fields no longer tempt them to go 
a-fornging, — and already the little economists are 
forced to break in on their winter stores. The hives, 
therefore, designed to be reserved as winter stocks, 
must be inspected and weighed. Every one which 
weighs not fifteen or sixteen lbs., exclusive of empty 
