THE HONEY-BEE IN NEW ZEALAND, 
81 
are dashing about with a very ominously sharp hum, that 
appears to his mind very suggestive oi stings, and causes 
him to assure himself of the exact locality of his bottle of 
hartshorn. However, he nerves himselt for the attack, 
recollects that the hive is to be placed below the swarm, 
and then a smart tap is to be given to the branch. So he 
sprinkles sugar and beer in the hive, places it under the 
swarm, takes a very long stick, and standing at a respectful 
distance,' administers a rather feeble tap to the fatal branch. 
Ho effect is produced, and he gives another tap rather 
more powerful than the last. The obstinate bees still 
remain fixed to their branch like a quaker’s hat to his 
head, and no perceptible effect is produced excepting a 
kind of general movement in the swarm, which appears to 
indicate an intention on the part of the bees to hold 
together rather closer than before. Having now gained 
some courage, he once more uplifts the stick, and permits 
it to descend upon the branch with rather more violence 
than in either of the former assaults. Down go some 
hundred bees or so into the hive, where they aie heard 
buzzing away in. a most frantic manner, and filled w ith 
indignation at the unceremonious manner in which their 
wings are clogged with the sticky compound m the hrv e, 
white the remainder rise in a disturbed mass from their 
branch. The terrified bee-keeper, losing all the remainder 
of his presence of mind, throws the long stick at the swarm, 
and takes to his heels, too happy to find any place of refuge 
from his wing’ed foes. In a few minutes he emerges just 
in time to see his swarm disappearing over his hedge, and 
immediately the vigorous tinkling oi keys and waim¬ 
ing-pans assure him that others are engaged in the pursuit 
of the bees which he has permitted to escape. Is ext time 
he remembers that if the swarm be intended to fall into the 
hive, the branch must be struck very sharply indeed.. 
In this as in every other occupation, great decision is 
necessary, as the bees are very irascible creatures, and any 
fumbling about their dwellings or themselves irritates them 
marvellouslv, while a bold and rapid couise of proceeding 
appears to astonish them out of the power of doing injury. 
Indeed it is said that a skilful operator can turn up a hive 
