240 
BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 
their ascent, detach the receiving skep and turn it up 
for an examination ; and should her majesty not show 
herself, shake the bees sharply round, as in the 
operation of sifting, when they will roll over each 
other, like so many grocers’ currants — the object 
of our search being, in all likelihood, thrown to the 
top, to be at once detected. The disposition to run 
upward still shows itself, and the bees, as they get 
opportunity during the disturbance to which they are 
exposed, commence to crawl (for they will not fly) 
up the sides of the hive and cluster thickly upon it, 
giving to the queen a hiding-place, of which she 
will not be slow to avail herself. Beat them down, 
therefore, by sharp raps on the outside of the skep, 
or strike its roof vigorously upon the ground to 
accomplish the same purpose. Repeating the opera- 
tion a few times, we can hardly fail in discovering, 
if present, the mother, in spite of her attempts at 
concealment behind her bewildered children. The 
queen having been seen, place the forced swarm 
upon the old stand, and shake out the bees that have, 
in the meantime, returned from the fields to the decoy 
hive, when they will enter their new abode, and, find- 
ing their queen, will, with the rest, commence comb- 
building, as would a natural swarm. The old hive 
must now be placed on a new stand. 
To the inexperienced there are two possible diffi- 
culties, about which a word or two of explanation 
seem requisite. First, finding the queen. Some are 
not quick at this, even after considerable practical 
experience, and such operators must depend on other 
evidence than that of sight. Nothing may be left 
