156 
BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 
suffice it to say, that the lady under coercion gives 
origin to a sound which can easily be heard outside 
the hive — a sound comparable to, though happily 
much weaker than, that of a toy trumpet. It is a 
high-set, rasping note, likened to Peep, peep, peep,” 
and hence the word ‘^piping” has been applied; 
but “ Teet ” and “ Zeet ” have seemed to some to 
better mimic the “vox regalis,” which in France and 
Germany is represented by “Tuh” and “ Quak,” for 
that of hatched and unhatched queens respectively. To 
the piping call of the former, often described as a 
challenge, the latter replies with a duller, less metallic 
sound. These notes serve some purpose indubitably. 
They clearly have the advantage of informing the 
several members of this “ Royal family ” of each 
other^s presence, and so tend to drive out those at 
liberty, should others in concealment be preserved 
from attack, at the same time that they keep the bees 
themselves informed of the general outlook, and of 
the points needing protection. They, in consequence, 
act as a guide to the bee-keeper, and, if continued 
a couple of days, may always be accepted as evidence 
that a swarm ere long will issue. 
Singularly silent are all writers respecting the 
means by which piping is produced, but the problem 
is surely of sufficient interest to make it worthy of 
an attempted solution. Let us clear the ground, first 
by saying that the queen can, and does, pipe, 
although rarely, at all periods of her life, and not 
only under the above-given conditions. If held in 
the hand, or separated from her swarm, and caged 
(especially if several caged queens be put near 
