SWARMING. 
191 
a prediction for a swarm 48 hours, when I have judged 
from these signs, in a prosperous season. When 
there is a partial failure of honey, the swarm some- 
times will wait several days after finishing them. 
CLUSTERING OUTSIDE NOT ALWAYS TO BE DEPENDED UPON. 
The clustering out of the bees I find but a poor 
criterion to judge from, further than full hives do 
swarm — many such do not. 
EXAMINATIONS TIIE RESULT. 
I will detail a few circumstances, that have led to 
these conclusions. Some years ago the honey began 
to fail, when only about one third of my good stocks 
had cast swarms ; and all at once, the issues began to 
“ be few and far between.” I had previously exam- 
ined, and found they had gone into preparations pretty 
extensively ; by having not only constructed cells, 
but occupied them with royal eggs and larvie. Now 
I examined again, and found five out of six had 
destroyed them, (at the same time the bees clustered 
out extensively). This put an end to all hopes of 
swarms here. Some few had finished their cells, and 
these, I had some hopes, would send out the swarms ; 
but the dry weather caused some misgivings. After 
waiting three or four days and none coming, I found 
these sealed cells destroyed also, and had no more 
swarms that season. Subsequent observations have ful- 
ly confirmed these things. One season some of the hives 
commenced preparations at two different periods, and 
then abandoned them without swarming at all, through 
