The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-02-11

lccLcQ, WIFI very yO1hSs 1902
by a peculiar system Of food and nursing, Is made
to attain a much greater physical development
than her less favored sisters. There is but one
queen to each swarm, and her sole Office is to
propagate the species. The workers of the hive
are the most interesting of the three classes.
They build the cells, collect the honey, and feed
the other bees and the young. The honey Is
brought in their stomachs from the flowers and
disgorged into the cells to serve as food for the
adults of the hive. The young are fed with s'bee
bread, - which consists of the pollen of flowers
that collects upon the little hairs that cover the
body of the workers, and which is carefully re
moved and stored away. The wax, of which the
cells are built, is formed from honey by means of
a sort of digestive process.
Bees are the most loyal subjects in the world,
and it would be an endless task to recount the
many stories which are told of their devoted at
tachment TO their queen. She is the handspring
upon which all their order, Union and happiness
depend and if at any time she strays from her
hive without the knowledge of her subjects, her
little kingdom is at once thrown into a state of
terrible confusion the inmates running up and
down as if frantic. and buzzing as if their hearts
would break. But the lost one is no sooner found
than the excitement subsidies the news is COM
municated in a moment, and perfect peace pre-
walls. The pleasure of the little ~loyalists is mani
tested by a gentle waving of their wings as they
return to their former labors.
Besides being industrious and loyal, bees are
very intelligent creatures. One writer mentions
an instance of their coating over with gum a dead
mouse which was in their hive-thus rendering
their home proof against any impure efluvium.
They displayed even more sagacity in the case of
a snail, which they sealed up only at the opening
of his shell.
Like all other good citizens of a community,
bees have some enemies, and among them perhaps
the moth is the most destructive. Sometimes the
only ~effectual method, when a hive is infested
with moths, is to remove the entire colony into
a new domicil. A story is told of an old lady
in Connecticut, who, thinking to destroy the
moths that annoyed her bees SO much, Illuminated
her garden and bee house at night with torches.
The consequence was that instead of singeing the
marauders she destroyed her own bees, who came
out in great pihkia 10 see what was the matter.
There are some kinds of birds, too, that love no
titbit better than a nice plump bee, with its
stomach distended with delicious honey. Tomtits
are said to disturb them by tapping at their
hives, and then snap upwith eager delight the un-
fortunate little creatures that come TO the door.
Sometimes a knowing old toad may be seen seated
under a hive. waiting to seize upon all such as,
coming home, loaded with precious spoils, acct
dentally fall to the ground.
Although good soldiers they rarely make war
fighting only in self defence. History, how
arar raaor1S n Iaast m ipstapoa ,rLaro SL,r
proved useful auxiliaries to man in a battle. A
Greek vessel, having on board besides other cargo
a number of bee hives, was attacked while
threading her passage among the islands of the
Egean Sea by a pirate. The enemy gave chase,
ran along side and were about to board. Resist
ance against 50 strong a force of desperate and
well armed men seemed useless, when, suddenly,
at the last moment, a bright idea struck the cap
tain. Selling a hive of bees in his brawny arms
he leaned over the rail and hurled it down upon
the deck of the piratical craft. The heavy crash
with which it struck the planks was almost in
stantly followed by a yell Of mingled agony and
rage from the assaiiants. Another hive, and
another followed, and as they were successfully
upon the deck, their startled inmates
fastened upon the pirates in a manner that aston
tLtH. IDcy cOulQ nave DOrQe DOWN the
pixies and cutlasses of their human foes, but they
could not resist the attacks of these insidious lit
tie enemies. Frantic with pain they fell one over
in their haste to escape, and many of
them leaped into the water. The master of the
other vessel took advantage of the confusion and
made his escape without further pursuit.
1t was formerly the custom in England for par
sons to levy tithes upon the parishioners and the
following anecdote is related of a country squire
parish preacher insisted upon having the
tenth swarm SIT shall be done,' ouoth the
gentleman. 1t fortuned within two daies the
gentleman had "a great swarme, the which he put
to the parsons house the parson, with his wife
and familie, he found at supper in a faire hall
the gentleman saluted them, and told the parson
he had brought him some bees. s4Ay, marry quoth
the parson, this is neighborly done I pray you
carry them into my garden Nay, by troth,'
3uoth the gentleman, Il will leave them even
nere.' With that he gave the hive a knock
against the ground, and all the bees fell out
'ome stung the parson, some stung his wife, and
'ome his children and family; and out they ran
Is fast as they could shift into a chamber, and
veil was he who could make shift for himself,
eaving their meate cold upon the table in the
,all. The gentleman went home, carrying his
hive with him."
The hum of bees is always a pleasant music.
There is something cheerful in the busy murmur
If the little insect as with capricious fancy it fits
rom flower to flower, slipping here and tasting
here, carrying off a memento from every spot it
lights upon, and yet always leaving something
o be CLEANED by the next conner. In olden days
,mens were drawn from their s%warming. Urban
III and Louis XII adopted them fordevices upon
heir coats of arms. Writers of every age have
made them a theme for prose and verse. As ex-
IMPLIES of industry bees are models which all men
would do well to initiate; and the order of their
is far superior to that of many gov
rnments in human communities. Shakespeare
Iraws the following comparison between bees and
nen
$50 work the Honey Bees
Creatures that by a rule In nature, teach
~ 80 If orlor - n paonled EinOlon-