THE BEE. 
5*7 
then remains to be adopted, is, to divide ; and in an in- 
ftant, a luge colony prepares to abandon for ever the 
place of their nativity, and to follow a young queen ill 
forming a new eftablilhment for themfelves. 
It is not merely the number of bees in a hive that de- 
termines them to fwarm ; that event depends on the 
young female, who muft not only be fuffieiendy ftrong to 
lead the colony, but muft alfo be impregnated ; for upon 
that circumftance depends the whole hopes of the future 
progeny : But no l'ooner do all thefe predifpofing circum- 
flances concur in a hive, than it prepares immediately 
for colonifation. In the evening before that eventful 
period, indication of their intentions is given, by an un- 
ufual noife and hurry within the hive. All the morning 
of next day paffes without hardly a ftngle bee going to 
collect honey. Thofe who are to leave the hive are pre- 
paring to take their departure; while thofe that remain 
behind defer their operations, till their companions, by 
their leaving them, have afforded fufficient room. 
It is in the great enterprile of colonifation that the in- 
fluence of the queen bee is moft clearly feen : Wherever 
flie alights, there the whole fwarm take up their abode, 
and all cling around her body. If flie is removed, they 
all fly in quell of her : if put into a hive where flie has 
not been placed, they either forfake it or die. Hence 
the art of thofe peifcns is explained, who go about {hew- 
ing bees, making them alight on different parts of their 
body, and follow them for any length of time. They 
have poffeffion of the queen bee ; and by that means can 
influence all their movements. 
When a fwarm thus migrates from the parent hive, it 
frequently happens that more than one female accompa- 
nies 
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