116 THE HISTORY OF BEES. 
But fo many and various are the circumftances about 
the fwarming and hiving of Bees, that it is impoffible to 
give directions in them all. Common prudence will di- 
rect in many cafes ; and the reft muft be learned by ob- 
fervation, practice, and experience. 
In hiving fwarms (if you are afraid of their ftings) you 
miay fecure yourfelf by a thin veil over the face, or by 
wafhing it with the fweet liquid ufed in dreffing the 
hive. | | 
In a very hot feafon, when the Bees are more apt to 
firike, I have (tho’ not often) put on fuch a veil; but I 
have feldom been ftung, unlefs accidentally I happened 
>? 
to crufh one. | 
The laft {warm I had a fummer or two ago never fet- 
tled at all, but croffing a wide ftreet, they fled over the 
houfes, and entering in at the fide-piece of a back- 
building, found a paflage into the funnel of a chimney, 
and had chofe that for their habitation. Refolving to 
diflodge them from this place, I got a large quantity of 
combuftible matter, fit for fuch a purpofe, and fet it on 
fire, which prefently brought them to light. No fooner 
did the fmoke begin to fill the chimney, but fir we heard 
a ftrange uproar and confufion, and prefently confidera- 
ble numbers came down into the room, thro’ the fire 
and fmoke, and fome perifhed therein, and the reft were 
Iet out at the window, but the main body efcaped the 
way they entered, fettling on the outfide wall, whence we 
got them with fome difficulty into an hive, in’ which 
they profpered fome years, producing feveral fwarms. — 
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