BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 
1 66 
bees carried away with it will mark the new location. 
The old colony contains no very young brood, and 
very many newly-hatched bees, so that there will 
be no loss* of brood by this operation. In sixt to 
ten days the old colony will have a fertile queen, 
as a rule, and become quite populous, when surplus 
receptacles may be adjusted to it. In my practice 
with this method, and the practice of many others 
who have used it, I am not aware of one instance 
of failure. The plan embraces the advantages of 
speed and certainty ; there is no hunting for 
queens or queen-cells, or even opening the hives. 
It needs only to be properly executed to be 
appreciated.^^ The general utility of this plan, 
and the reasons of its success, are too obvious to 
need comment. I cannot forbear, however, immediate 
reference to one point, of vital importance, lest the 
reader should imagine, as I believe erroneously, that 
Mr. Heddon seriously intends that, in the fighting of 
the queens, we get “ the survival of the fittest.’^ I 
shall hereafter, at length, endeavour to show that, 
since the most combative queen has the greater 
chance, queen-fighting is ever tending to select the 
most jealous and irritable — in itself a disadvantage — 
while the progeny of such queens are also likely 
to possess undesirable qualities. Let us never forget, 
that ^/le needs of the bee-keeper are not concurrent 
with those natural selections which are ?nerely 
favourable to the queen herself, and so man must 
* Mr. Heddon means by chilling or neglect. 
f This is certainly an under-statement ; from eleven to fifteen days 
would be the average. 
