CITY OF THE BEES

by Frank S. Stuart ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 4, 1949

A poetic, to lyric account of one year of life in a wild bee colony, that follows in the Maeterlinck tradition of treating this unique insect with not only respect but with a mysticism that enlarges and emphasizes the distinctive characteristics of bee history. Here are the superspecial activities in the combs --the fanners, the nurses, the sentries, the drones, the care of the young, the queen bee -- and her guarded, imperial life. Then comes the moving of the colony to another spot -- the dangers from without (badgers, wasps, moths, robber bees, mice, woodpeckers) -- and the closing down of Winter, and, with the rebirth of the colony the next Spring, the death of the queen....Something beyond the ordinary, first for nature followers, then for those who have inherited an interest in bee lore, this in its hyperbole, its tense and sensitive knowledge of the science behind the story qualities of drama and excitement, is a sure fire bet for a known audience. It parallels in many ways the delightful Bees' Ways by George D. Curtis (Honghton, Mifflin) but is focussed particularly on the wild bee, as distinguished from his cultivated cousin.

Pub Date: Feb. 4, 1949

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Whittlesey

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1949

Categories: NONFICTION