Al Avitabile writes in: 
  
Tanging does not cause a swarm to alight, or to move to a lower clustering sight or to return to their colony.  Even Virgil believed in Tanging as a means of retrieving a swarm.

In the case cited in B-L  it is likely the queen alighted on the lower branch and the cluster became aware of the fact that the queen had not accompanied them. When this happens the cluster becomes aware that the queen failed to accompany them and scouts begin searching for the queen, some scouts find the queen and begin scenting  the cluster becomes restless breaks up and reclustera at the queen's location.

The facility was well understood from the Latin--- Post hoc ergo proper hoc  the Latin translation goes like this  "After this because of that." After this -- the swarm alights etc --   because of that --  the result of tanging

Apparently the tradition of tanging continued for centuries ( and still does) and if a swarm left your property and you followed it by tanging and even when it alighted on someone else's property you had by law a claim to the swarm.

Tanging objects evolved over time from chimes to pots and spoons, to firing a shot gun to blowing a car horn. and even ringing or banging on chimes   

For further information one can read Al's article in Bee Culture 

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