Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-08-18

them into drones, workers, or queens.
according to the size of the cell, so that
the size of the cell determines the future
condition of the little bee in the cocoon.
l have told you that there can only
be one queen in hive at a time, vet
there are many young baby queens in
the royal cells, fed with the remarkable
jelly only used for queen babies. These
tiny queens grow in their cocoons until
one of them, more forward than the rest,
throws off the silken covering and comes
out a full-Aedged queen, ready to rule
over the dominion she is wise enough to
know falls to her of right. But what do
you think the despotic lady does to begin
with Why, walks to every cell con-
tanning royal grub, or baby queen, and
stings each poor little thing to death,
and then proceeds to drive out the old
queen. This seems like a very cruel
business, but as two queens cannot exist
in the same hive, so the young queen
does this. Of course the whole hive is
thrown into great confusion by the ar
rival of this second queen. The work.
ers collect in impenetrable ranks around
their old sovereign and prevent per-
sonal conflict between the two royal
ladies. An end to the matter has to
come, of course, and, generally, the old
est InnauIUanJ nIes UuJ VI inc ursU, -
great fuster, leaving it to the new queen,
and followed by all her devout attend
ants, who cluster about her wherever
she may see fit to alight. hanging to the
object and to each other with their lit
tie hooked hands till they sometimes
form complete ball. This is called
swarming. 1t may be guessed where the
swarm will alight when it leaves the
hive, for scouts are sent out in advance
to select the place, and these, by going
and coming with great buster and i'm
portance, give some notice to the owners
Of the bees as to what is to be done.
After the swarm has come out of the
hive and settled, it is only required to
strike the object, from which they are
suspended, quick blow, at the same
time holding an empty hive beneath.
The bees at once cluster about the new
abode and take possession. After the
old queen and her attendants have left
the hive, the young workers see the ne
cessity of going at once out into the
world to provide for themselves and
their young queen. The cells in which
they were Matched are of course empty /;
SO these they fill with honey, and bust
ness goes on with the young people who
occupy the hive just as it used to do
with the old
Bees do many strange things showing
their ability to reason in case of emer-
gency. No greater proof of this can be
found than that given by the sagacity Of
the little creatures in times of calamity,
when enemies come into the hive, OF
when they are by accident deprived Of
their queen. In the latter case they dc
a very curious thing. They select one
of the common grubs, and all begin to
lavish every attention upon it; feed il
with the food kept only for queens; en-.
large its small cell, and by care convert
it into a royal parsonage. so that, wher
it leaves the cell, instead of a common
worker it comes out queen. How thi.
change is produced merely by change o
food and enlargement of cell, we do no
know, but that the common little grul
becomes a real queen, we are very sure
Bees, as you see, are very curious lit
tie insects, and the more we learn o
them the more astonlshed we become a
the wisdom and goodness of God. VIII
has fitted them SO entirely for the worl
they have to do, and given even to crea
lures so small powers so wonderful.
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