202 
THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 
be made by boring a bole into a block, and covering it 
with wire-gauze, or any perforated cover. The bees will 
cultivate an acquaintance with the imprisoned mother, by 
thrusting their antennae through the openings, and the 
next day she may be safely given to them. Queens bent 
on escaping to the woods, may be confined in the same 
way. A pasteboard box, pierced with holes, answers equally 
well, or even a match-box, properly scalded. 
If the cage is put with its small openings over one of 
the holes on the spare honey-board, or set inside of the 
hive, the bees will be as quiet as though the queen had 
her liberty. Such a cage will be very convenient for any 
temporary confinement of a queen. 
In catching a queen, she should be gently taken, with 
the fingers, from among the bees, and if none arc crushed, 
there is no risk of being stung. The queen, although sho 
will not sting, even if roughly handled, will sometimes, 
when closely confined, bite the hand of the operator so as 
to cause a little uneasiness — her jaws, which are intended 
for gnawing into the base of the royal cells, being larger 
and" stronger than those of a common bee. If she is 
allowed to fly, she may be lost, by attempting to enter a 
strange hive. 
As a fertile queen can lay several thousand eggs a day, 
it is not strange that she should quickly become exhausted, 
if taken from the bees. “ Ex nihilo nihil fit ” — from 
nothing, nothing comes — and the arduous duties of 
maternity compel her to be an enormous eater. After an 
absence from the bees of only fifteen minutes, she will 
solicit honey, when returned ; and if kept away for an 
hour or upwards, she must either be fed by the Apiarian, 
or have a few bees, gorged with honey, given to her to 
supply her wants. One which I sent by express, in a 
