Page:Jardine Naturalist's library Bees.djvu/196

192 begun her laying, and the rapidly increasing quantity of brood, that none but well provisioned hives can support the expenditure. In April, however, the industrious insect begins to get something out of doors; besides the gooseberries and currants, the seeding turnips and furze, the willows are putting forth their catkins, and the buds of the plane and horse-chestnut are swelling, all of which contribute to relieve the winter magazines and render it quite safe for a buyer to set about forming his apiary. Let him, therefore, choose a fine morning, when the bees are busily engaged in carrying in farina, and observe attentively, and in their turn, all the hives from which he is to select his purchase, counting the number of each that enter within a minute's space. He will fix, of course, on those that exhibit the greatest number. The cultivator will sometimes at this season discover, to his mortification, that one or more of his hives has been totally deserted by the inhabitants. If there is no want of honey in the combs, and no appearance of mice or other vermin having obtained access to it, the probable cause of this desertion is the death of the queen during the winter, from age or from accident. In such circumstances, the whole population will gradually leave their habitation; and while many wander about in the cold, and ultimately perish, others may be seen dispersing themselves among the other hives in the apiary. The owner should in this case shut up the hive, carry it into a dry place, and reserve it for a late swarm, to which it will be a valuable acquisition. It is worthy of remark how