n desire no other evidence of my assertion. It is in the
facility of opening these hives at pleasure that all the advantages lie,
which I expect in perfecting the economical knowledge of bees.

I conceive, when I observe bees may be rendered tractable, that it need
not be added, I do not arrogate to myself the absurd pretence of
_taming_ them, for this excites a vague idea of tricks; and I would
willingly avoid the hazard of exposing myself to any such reproach. I
ascribe their tranquillity on opening the hives, to the manner that the
sudden introduction of light affects them; then, they seem rather to
testify fear than anger. Many retire and enter the cells, and appear to
conceal themselves. What confirms my conjecture is, their being less
tractable during night or after sunset than through the day. Thus, we
must open the hives, while the sun is above the horizon, cautiously, and
without any sudden shock. The divisions must be separated slowly, and
care taken not to wound any of the bees. If they cluster too much on the
combs, they must be brushed off with a feather; and breathing on them
carefully avoided. The air we expire seems to excite their fury; it
certainly has some irritating quality, for if bellows are used, they are
rather disposed to escape than to sting.

Respecting the advantages of leaf hives, I shall observe, they are very
convenient for forming _artificial_ swarms. In the history of natural
swarms, I have shewn how many favourable circumstances are necessary for
their success. From experience I know that they very often fail in our
climate; and even when a hive is disposed to swarm, it frequently
happens that the swarm is lost either because the moment of its
departure has not been foreseen, because it rises out of sight, or
settles on inaccessible places. Instructing the cultivators of bees how
to make artificial swarms is a real service, and the form of my hives
renders this an easy operation. But it requires farther illustration.

Since bees, according to M. Schirach's discovery, can procure another
queen after having lost their own, provided there is workers brood in
the combs not above three days old, it results that we can at pleasure
produce queens, by removing the reigning one. Therefore, if a hive
sufficiently populous is divided in two, one half will retain the old
queen, and the other will not be long of obtaining a new one. But to
ensure success, we must choose a propitious moment, which i