NATURAL HISTORY. aig 
thefe veflels, is taken for thunder, and that it obliges the Bees to feek 
2 proper place for aretreat. When the Bees are fixed, they caufe them 
to enter into a hive, rubbed with the leaves of balm, mixed with a 
little honey. When they make their firlt fally, there may be feveral 
males, infomuch that a {warm has fometimes two queens, and is even 
Wided into two bands. But as it commonly happens, that one of 
thefe is more confiderable than the other, the Bees who are fond of 
2 large company, the fmalleft band dwindles by little and little, by 
€ir going to join the largeft. Thus a {warm may have two queens, 
"nd fometimes more; but they do not continue long, for the fupernu- 
Merary queens are always killed in the hive, where the fwarm {ettles ; 
€nd till this cruel execution is performed, the Bees never fly abroad to 
Work. If there fhould be any female Bees left in the old hive, that 
'd not go out with the fwarm, they always undergo the fame fate; 
at is, thofe that have been newly transformed. Hence it follows, 
that there is never more than one queen in the fame hive. However 
it muft be obferved, that the Bees, never facrifice any of the females, 
When their hives are full of honey and wax; and it is given as a reafon, 
t there is no danger at that Lime, to maintain a plurality of breeders. 
. Bees in fome fenfe, obferve the fame rules as Wafps; for when the 
Ime is come, that the males are no longer neceflary, the working Bees 
clare war againft them ; and in two or three days time, they make a 
Teadful havock amongft them; infomuch, that the ground all round 
the hive, is ftrewed with dead bodies ; nay they will even kill thofe that 
ate yet in their worm ftate, or of that of an Aurelia. This butchery 
'S performed at different times; for in fome hives, it happens in June, 
8d in others not till Fuly or dugu/t, 
hen the hive fends out feveral {warms in a year; that which firk 
\ Proceeds therefrom, is always the beft, and moft numerous; and then 
i 
wife they are able to lay up the greateft plenty of honey and wax. 
‘is remarkable, that a fwarm, always confifts of Bees of all ages, 
®Nd likewife there continues in the hive Bees of all ages. The number 
them is always more confiderable, than that of the inhabitants of 
any large cities; for fometimes they are upwards of 49,000. It is 
°nderful to confider the aétivity of the Bees, when they firft enter an 
“pty hive; for often in lefs than twenty-four hours time, they wili 
ake combs, above twenty inches long, and feven or eight broad; and 
SMetimes they will half fill their hives with wax in five days; info- — 
hoes that a {warm will make more wax in the firft fifteen days, than 
ab do afterwards all the reft of the year. When a {warm is confider- 
le, and appears early, they fometimes fend out another the fame year. 
1 confideration of the care and trouble that people are at, in taking 
Ne of the prefervation and multiplication of Bees, it appears reafon- 
le that they fhould partake with them, of the fruit of their labour. 
' it isa kind of a: barbarity to deflroy all the Bees with fulpbur, 
pn ther wite to get all the wax or honey; and yet we fee this is often 
f Ne, by thofe who make a trade of dealing in fuch commodities. In 
“€ countries, this practice is forbid, and particularly in Tu/cany. 
ang Proper care, a great number of hives might be faved every year,. 
q there cannot be too many in thofe places that greatly abound in- 
vets. It muft be acknowledged, that honey is not in fuch great 
Welk as formerly, before the i of fugar was found out. How- 
2 CVER 
