222 
SUMMER. 
SWARMS SOMETIMES RETURN. 
Occasionally a swarm will issue, and in a few min- 
utes return to the old stock. Mr. Miner gives a cause 
for this, very ingenious, and romantic, but unfortu- 
nately there are but few facts to sustain this hypothe- 
sis, (at least I have not discovered them.) There are 
other causes that appear to me more reasonable ; the 
most common is the inability of the old queen to fly, 
on account of her burden of eggs, old'^age, or some- 
thing else. I have sometimes, after the swarm had re- 
turned, found the queen near the stock, and put her 
back, and the next day she would come out again, and 
fly without difficulty, (perhaps she had discharged some 
of her eggs.) 
iheir returning is more frequent in windy weather, 
or when the sun is partially obscured by clouds. About 
three fourths of them will not re-issue until a young 
queen is matured, eight or ten days afterwards ; and a 
few, not at all. But when the queen returns with the 
swarm, they usually come out again the next day, or 
day after, and some not till the third or fourth. I have 
known two instances where they issued again the same 
day. 
REPETITION PREVENTED. 
Sometimes a swarm will issue and return three or 
four days in succession, but this I generally remedy, 
as it is often owing to some inability of the queen, and 
she may be frequently found while the swarm is leav- 
ing outside the hive, unable to fly. In such cases it 
is only necessary to have a tumbler ready, and watch 
for her ; and as soon as she appears, secure her, get 
