, in which case, it is accompanied by one of the young queens
reared to supply her loss. The old mother leaves soon after the royal
cells are sealed over, unless delayed by unfavorable weather. There are
no signs from which the Apiarian can, with certainty, predict the issue
of a first swarm. I devoted annually, much attention to this point,
vainly hoping to discover some infallible indications of first swarming;
until taught by further reflection that, from the very nature of the
case, there can be no such indications. The bees, from an unfavorable
state of the weather, or the failure of the blossoms to yield an
abundant supply of honey, often change their minds, and refuse to swarm,
even after all their preparations have been completed. Nay more, they
sometimes send out no new colonies that season, when a sudden change of
weather has interrupted them on the very day when they were intending to
emigrate, and after they had taken a full supply of honey for their
journey.

If on a fair, warm day in the swarming season, but few bees leave a
strong hive, while other colonies are busily at work, we may, unless the
weather suddenly prove unfavorable, look with great confidence for a
swarm. As the old queens, which accompany the first swarm, are heavy
with eggs, and fly with considerable difficulty, they are shy of
venturing out, except on fair, still days. If the weather is very
sultry, a swarm will sometimes issue as early as 7 o'clock in the
morning; but from 10 to 2, is the usual time, and the majority of swarms
come off from 11 to 1. Occasionally, a swarm will venture out as late as
5 P. M. An old queen is seldom guilty of such a piece of indiscretion.

I have in repeated instances witnessed the whole process of swarming, in
my observing hives. On the day fixed for their departure, the queen
appears to be very restless, and instead of depositing her eggs in the
cells, she travels over the combs, and communicates her agitation to the
whole colony. The emigrating bees fill themselves with honey, some time
before their departure: in one instance, I noticed them laying in their
supplies, more than two hours before they left. A short time before the
swarm rises, a few bees may generally be seen, sporting in the air, with
their heads turned always to the hive, occasionally flying in and out,
as though they were impatient for the important event to take place. At
length, a very violent agitation commences in the hive: the bees