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Art. XII .—Account of the Singular Treatment of a Queen 
Bee. By Mr George Cron. Communicated by the Au- 
thor. 
T hose that take an interest in bees, and know something of 
their various instincts, are aware, that the love and reverence 
which they have for the queen, is not a little remarkable. In 
proof of this, I am enabled to add an uncommon instance, com- 
pletely new to me, and I doubt not to many of your readers. 
I shall have to treat the subject with considerable minuteness, 
in order that the reader may be fitted to judge, whether, in this 
case, the bees really acted from affection or from hostility, — - 
whether, in short, their intention was to protect or to kill. I can- 
not help being of opinion that their object was to shield the 
queen bee from what, in their alarm, they considered as impend- 
ing destruction ; but be this as it may, the fact to be related is 
a curious one, and deserves to be noticed, as adding to ■ the in- 
formation already acquired, with respect to the surprising eco- 
nomy of these interesting insects. 
Being near the close of the honey season, it was proposed to 
drive a swarm of bees out of one hive into another, with a view 
to secure for the winter a good stock-swarm, -—a plan which, by 
the way, is not more merciful than judicious ; and there is much 
room for regret that it is not more generally followed. It 
happened that the hive out of which the bees were to be driven, 
consisted of a double swarm, two second casts having united at 
the time they were thrown, though, of course, there would now 
be but a single queen bee, as it seems to be generally held, that, 
in such circumstances, one of the royal personages is sure to pe- 
rish in mutual conflict. 
This hive was gently turned upside down, and the one pre- 
pared for the reception of the swarm was placed with care ex- 
actly upon it, with a view that the bees might have free access 
to each, without having it in their power to escape from either. 
The swarm of the latter was not extremely strong, though the 
number of bees was thought to be considerable; and there is every 
reason to believe that the hive had a living queen bee. It is of 
VOL. V. NO. 9 . JULY 1821 . E 
