218 
THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 
colony, we can easily see how they find it out ; for ns a 
tender mother, in time of danger, is all anxiety for her 
helpless children, so bees, when alarmed, always seek first 
to assure themselves of the safety of their queen. If, 
however, the queen is very carefully removed, a day, or 
even more, may elapse, before they realize their loss* 
How do they first become aware of it ? Perhaps some 
dutiful bee, anxious to embrace her mother, makes diligent 
search for her through the hive. The intelligence that 
she cannot be found being noised abroad, the whole family 
is speedily alarmed. At such times, instead of calmly 
conversing, by touching each other’s antennae, they may 
be seen violently striking them together, and by the most 
impassioned demonstrations manifesting their agony and 
despair. 
I once removed the queen of a small colony, the bees 
of which took wing and filled the air, in search of her. 
Although she was returned in a few minutes, royal cells 
were found two days later. The queen was unhurt, and 
the cells untenanted. Was this work begun by some that 
did not believe the others, when assured that she was 
safe ? or from the apprehension that she might be removed 
again ? 
All colonies whose queens are to be impregnated should 
be watched, that the Apiarian maybe seasonably apprised 
of their loss. Such colonics, if provided with suitable 
brood-comb, will seldom forsake the hive, if the queen is 
lost. An old stock which cannot be suppplied with a 
queen or the means of raising one, should be broken up, 
* M For eighteen hours after the queen wna taken away, the usual labors of the 
hive proceeded as regularly as if she wore still present; but no sooner was her loss 
discovered than all was agitation and tumult — the boos hurried backward and for- 
ward over the combs, with a loud noise, rushed in crowds out of the hive, ns If 
going to swarm, and In short, exhibited all tho symptoms of boroavement and do- 
•pair.’ 1 — Buv an, p. 24. 
