26 
TUE HIVE AXD HONEY-BEE. 
not occasion,ally some improviilent or unfortunate ones, 
wlio, coming forth without tlie soothing supply, are filled 
instead with the bitterest hate against any one daring to 
meddle with them. Such thriftless radicals are always to 
be dreaded, for they must vent their spleen on something, 
even though they perish in the act. 
If a whole colony on sallying forth possessed such a 
ferocious spirit, no one could hive them unless clad in a 
coat of mail, bee-proof; and not even then, until all the 
windows of his house Avere closed, his domestic animals 
bestOAved in some place of safety, and sentinels posted at 
suitable stations to Avarn all comers to keep at a safe dis¬ 
tance. In short, if the propensity to bo exceedingly 
good-natured after a hearty meal had not been given to 
the bee, it could never have been domesticated, and our 
honey Avould still be procured from the clefts of rocks or 
the hollows of trees. 
A second peculiarity in the nature of the bee, of Avhich 
Ave m.ay avail ourselves Avith great success, may be thus 
stated : 
Sees cannot under any circumstances resist the temp¬ 
tation to Jill themselves with liquid sweets. 
It Avould be quite as difficult for them to do this, as for 
an inveterate miser to despise a golden shoAver of double 
eagles falling at his feet and soliciting his appropriation. 
If, then, Avhen Ave Avish to perform any operation Avhich 
might provoke them, Ave can contrive to call their atten¬ 
tion to a treat of floAving sAveets, Ave may be sure that 
under its genial influence they Avill alloAV us to do Avhat 
we please, so long as Ave do not hurt them. 
Speeial care should be used not to handle them rough¬ 
ly, for they will never allow themsolves to be pinched or 
hurt Avithout thrusting out their sting to resent the in¬ 
dignity. If, as soon as a hive is opened, the e.xposed 
