33

THE HONEY-BEE IN NEW ZEALAND. 31

are dashing about with a very ominously sharp hum, that
appears to his mind very suggestive of stings, and causes
him to assure himself of the exact locality of his bottle of
hartshorn. However, he nerves himself for the attack,
recollects that the hive is to be placed below the swarm,
and then a smart tap is to be given to the branch. So he
sprinkles sugar and beer in the hive, places it under the
swarm, takes a very long stick, and standing at a respectful
distance, administers a rather feeble tap to the fatal branch.
No effect is produced, and he gives another tap rather
more powerful than the last. The obstinate bees still
remain fixed to their branch like a quaker's hat to his
head, and no perceptible effect is produced excepting a
kind of general movement in the swarm, which appears to
indicate an intention on the part of the bees to hold
together rather closer than before. Having now gained
some courage, he once more uplifts the stick, and permits
it to descend upon the branch with rather more violence
than in either of the former assaults. Down go some
hundred bees or so into the hive, where they are heard
buzzing away in a most frantic manner, and filled with
indignation at the unceremonious manner in which their
wings are clogged with the sticky compound in the hive,
while the remainder rise in a disturbed mass from their
branch. The terrified bee-keeper, losing all the remainder
of his presence of mind, throws the long stick at the swarm,
and takes to his heels, too happy to find any place of refuge
from his winged foes. In a few minutes he emerges just
in time to see his swarm disappearing over his hedge, and
immediately the vigorous tinkling of keys and warm-
ing-pans assure him that others are engaged in the pursuit
of the bees which he has permitted to escape. Next time
he remembers that if the swarm be intended to fall into the
hive, the branch must be struck very sharply indeed.
In this as in every other occupation, great decision is
necessary, as the bees are very irascible creatures, and any
fumbling about their dwellings or themselves irritates them
marvellously, while a bold and rapid course of proceeding
appears to astonish them out of the power of doing injury.
Indeed it is said that a skilful operator can turn up a hive