be ruffled, he is much more likely to be stung; and even if he were stung, in such a comparatively quiescent state, so much the smaller would be the injury received, a calm deportment enabling the bee to withdraw the sting by her own efforts, by clenching the barbs round its shafts, these forming the only obstacles to its withdrawal. If it be left behind in the wound, the best treatment is quickly to extract it with a pair of tweezers, and in any case to apply promptly a little spirit of hartshorn, or any other alkaline liquor that will penetrate the wound; the venom inserted, being evidently an acid, is neutralised by an alkali, and rendered comparatively harmless; but everything depends upon its prompt application. From what I have stated to be the most effectual remedy for the sting of a bee, it may be inferred that those who are stung with impunity are very good tempered, for if they had any sourness in their composition they would have no such exemption from suffering when stung! Considering, therefore, how very important good temper is to connubial felicity, may it not be prudent for persons prior to betrothment to submit each other to the test of the bee's sting, when perhaps the amount of good temper possessed might be ascertained by the extent of the suffering inflicted? Should such a test be found upon trial to be depended upon, what persevering efforts would it not infallibly induce in the cultivation of good temper, and to what an incalculable degree would it contribute to the promotion of social harmony! And how delightful it would be to find that, in addition to their well known importance in other respects, we had made of the hivites a virtuous nation. I have now to introduce to your notice another highly-interesting and important member of the bee community--one that is generally considered to rank above all the rest, and hence the following couplet has been applied to her:-- "First of the throng, and foremost of the whole One stands confest the sovereign and the soul."