THE APIARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1812, 13 August 1886, Page 8

THE APIARY.

Instinct of Bees.

The bee is an insect that has entrenched itself in public estimation as being thoroughly respectaHe and hard-working. It attends to its own rusiness, and does not waste its own and other people's time oy idling about. To watch it gathering honey, one would think, from the hurry which it is in, fumbling about among the flowers, that it was seizing its last opportnnity. Then, too, what method the little creature has in its vdomestic arrangements ! What an ad.mirable regard for sanitation! What purpose in all it does ! What science in architecture I What polity in association ! Each has its own sphere of work, and all rely with a wonderful mutual confidence upon each other. Without any telling, a certain number of workers will set to producing wax. When they have got it they work it up with their mouths, from which it issues in a fine white ribbon. They then proceed, independent of overseers, to sketch out the ground plan of their hexagonal cells, and with a nicety— that is as nearly as possible mathematically exact — build up the waxen walls. Humanly speaking, no one gives instructions, and yet the busy little community divides itself methodically into several departments. One set goes off to gather rosin from leaf -buds to caulk the edges of the cells, to stop draughty chinks, strengthen weak joints, and seal up hermetically any noxious objects that may be encountered which are too heavy for removal. Meanwhile, the cells are rising from the foundations and acquiring, marvellous to relate, different dimensions. Here a band of bees is busy making little chambers for the reception of future workers, like themselves. Alongside is aaother bent upon building large apartments for the males, while a third is hard at work constructing the cells for the storage of honey, which are larger still. As soon as the nurseries are ready, the queen bee is politely waited upon by a deputation, who escort her round the empty establishment. — Daily Telegraph.

Do Bees Hear?

You^say that bees can hear a queen if she is on a frame held at some distance from a frame with other bees. Can they hear if one frame is on the ground and the other in your hand ? Or do they, when they make a piping, jar tho comb enough so that it will telephone the jar to the other bees P I tried it in this way : I fed them a teaspoonf ul of honey at the entrance every night this spring ; at the same time I hit the spoon on the bottom board (mine are portico hives) and they always came out at the signal, and it would start them buzzing if I rubbed my finger lightly on the hive. 1 then took a bell and rang it when I fed. I practised this with my 40 colonies every night for some time, always hitting the hive in some way before they would start. Now, if they hear, why wouldn't they take the bell as a signal without my first jarrind| them ? — Gleanings in Bee Culture.