27

THE HONEY-BEE IN NEW ZEALAND 25

one hand, mouth or bottom upwards, beneath the swarm,
enclosing as many of the hanging bees as the situation
will allow ; with the other hand shake the bough from
which they hang, and on the great mass tumbling into
the hive, carry it away half-a-dozen-yards, set it upright
on the bottom board or a white sheet previously spread
on the grass, raise the edge of the hive a few inches
from the ground with a bit of wood or stone, and then
cover it with some branches to keep off the rays of the
sun. If the queen is inside they will all gradually enter
the hive ; but if not, and if the queen is still outside, you
will find the bees leaving the hive, and clustering either
on the same branch or near it ; if such should be the
case, you must repeat the operation.

In swarming, the bees are led by the old queen, the
young one remains in the hive and ascends the throne, a
second swarm is lead by this one, and another younger
one, of course, takes her place.

In England a swarm will remain about twenty minutes
to half an hour on the first branch or bush or whatever
they fix upon, and if not hived will then take to flight a
second time, and are invariably lost to the owner ; but
in New Zealand, this is not the case, although Mr.
Cotton was not aware of it, for the swarm will sometimes
remain twelve hours on the first branch or bush, and
even longer, and begin to build a comb.

Mr. Cotton thus describes his plan of hiving a swarm.
He says, in New Zealand:-- A September swarm does not
differ so very much in value from a February one ; for
the swarming season ranges between these two months.
I have known a swarm of the latter month support itself
very well thrlough the winter, and in the following spring
become a most productive hive. Still, as I said before,
a youg bee master had better get a stock early in the
season, and then he will have a whole row before it is
over.

Swarming is an act of colonization on the part of the
bees. They fulfil thereby that part of the instinct
implanted in them by their Maker, which leads them to
spread themselves far and wide over the surface of the
earth ; so that if a single swarm of bees has been