122 
THE HIVE AND IIONEY-BEE. 
begun. If, during this period, these notes are not heard, 
it is an infallible indication that the first hatched queen 
has no rivals ; and that swarming, in that stock, is over 
for the season. 
The second swarm usually issues on the second or third 
day after piping is heard ; though they sometimes delay 
coming out until the fifth day, in consequence of an un- 
favorable state of the weather. Occasionally, the weather 
is so extremely unfavorable, that the bees permit the 
oldest queen to kill the others, and refuse to swarm again. 
This is a rare occurrence, as young queens are not so par- 
ticular about the weather as old ones, and sometimes ven- 
ture out, not merely when it is cloudy, but when rain is 
falling. On this account, if a very close watch is not 
kept, they are often lost. As piping ordinarily commences 
about a week after first-swarming, the second swarm usu- 
ally issues nine days after the first ; although it has been 
known to issue as early as the third, and as late as the 
seventeenth ; but such cases are very rare. 
It frequently happens in the agitation of swarming, that 
the usual guard over the queen-cells is withdrawn, and sev- 
eral hatch at the same time, and accompany the colony ; in 
which case, the bees often alight in two or more separate 
clusters. In my observing-hives, I have repeatedly seer 
young queens thrust out their tongues from a hole in their 
cell, to be fed by the bees. If allowed to issue at will, 
they are pale and weak, like other young bees, and for 
some time unable to fly ; but if confined the usual time, 
they come forth fully colored, and ready for all emergencies. 
I have seen them issue in this state, while the excitement 
caused by removing the combs from a hive, has driven the 
guard from their cells. 
The following remarkable instance came under my ob- 
servation, in Matamoras, Mexico. A second swarm do- 
