From: RSBrenchley@aol.com
Date: Sun, 3 Mar 2002 15:53:00 EST
To: BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Ferocious snails and swarms

Barry writes:

> Robert wrote:
> > This is reflected in English law, which regards bees, if I understand
> > it rightly, as wild animals in a temporary state of captivity.
>
> And exactly how are they captive? Is a bird nesting in one of our bird
> houses a captive animal? This is an interesting concept applied to bees I
> never quite understood. Does this not prove that domestication has to be
> more on the genetic side and less on the material side, such as hive
> structures?

I don't understand it myself. There was an independent MP (a virtually
extinct species unfortunately) and lawyer whose name I forget, who wrote
stories to show up the stupidity the law can fall into. these were televised
when I was in my teens, and the one I always remember revolved round the
question of whether a snail was a domestic animal, or 'ferae naturae', ie
wild and ferocious. As it was clearly not domestic, there was only one other
option available. I think bees in the hive are domestic, but once they issue
in a swarm, they become ferae naturae. So if you have snails or swarms, keep
well clear in case they turn out to be man-eaters!

Regards,

Robert Brenchley
RSBrenchley@aol.com
Birmingham UK