abundant success. Just so of many a dishonest bee. If it only knew
its true interests, it would be safely roving the smiling fields, in
search of honey, instead of longing for a tempting and yet dangerous
taste of forbidden sweets.

Bees sometimes carry on their depredations on a more magnificent scale.
Having ascertained the weakness of some neighboring colony, through the
sly intrusions of those who have entered the hive to spy out all "the
nakedness of the land," they prepare themselves for war, in the shape
of a pitched battle. The well-armed warriors sally out by thousands, to
attack the feeble hive against which they have so unjustly declared a
remorseless warfare. A furious onset is at once made, and the ground in
front of the assaulted hive is soon covered with the dead and dying
bodies of innumerable victims. Sometimes the baffled invaders are
compelled to sound a retreat; too often however, as in human contests,
right proves but a feeble barrier against superior might; the citadel is
stormed, and the work of rapine and pillage forthwith begins. And yet
after all, matters are not nearly so bad, as at first they seem to be.
The conquered bees, perceiving that there is no hope for them in
maintaining the unequal struggle, submit themselves to the pleasure of
the victors; nay more, they aid them in carrying off their own stores,
and are immediately incorporated into the triumphant nation! The poor
mother however, is left behind in her deserted home, some few of her
children which are faithful to the last, remaining with her, to perish
by her side, amid the sad ruins of their once happy home!

If the bee-keeper is unwilling to have his bees so demoralized, that
their value will be seriously diminished, he will be exceedingly careful
to do all that he possibly can to prevent them from robbing each other.
He will see that all queenless colonies are seasonably broken up in the
Spring, and all weak ones strengthened, and confined to a space which
they can warm and defend. If once his bees get a taste of forbidden
sweets, they will seldom stop until they have tested the strength of
every stock, and destroyed all that they possibly can. Even if the
colonies are able to defend themselves, many bees will be lost in these
encounters, and a large waste of time will invariably follow; for bees
whether engaged in attempting to rob, or in battling against the robbery
of others, are, to a very great extent, cut off both from the