Last week I was in southwestern France and spent an afternoon with a French beekeeper. Mirabile dictu, a swarm appeared suddenly in a poplar nearby. The beekeeper began clapping his hands together sharply for about 30 seconds. Then he switched tobanging two pie tins for another minute. He said this would bring the swarming bees together. In three minutes the bees had assembled on one limb we retrieved the swarm and hived it without incident. I've never seen this done before. Is it sound biology or French wish fulfillment?