80 UTILIZATION OF MINUTE LIFE. 



Italians say ; and if the bees appear hostile, he will 

 do well to stoop down. Liquid ammonia is em- 

 ployed with success to cure the effects of their 

 sting. 



Mr. Nutt's system of hive appears to be held 

 in esteem upon the Continent. It is no longer 

 necessary to kill these useful insects in order to 

 procure their honey, as every apiarist knows they 

 may be fumigated or " chloroformed " in different 

 ways. The fumes produced by burning fuiigi permit 

 the cultivator to attain this end without the loss of 

 his bees. Of these fungi the common puff-ball 

 (Lycoperdon) is to be preferred; its fumes act upon 

 animals like chloroform, as Dr. Richardson has 

 proved by several experiments. The asphyxiation 

 of bees by the puff-ball fungus has been practised 

 by Messrs. Blondel and Cossart with success, thus : 

 A hole is made in the earth a few inches deep, 

 and wide enough to hold a plate, under which is 

 placed a towel. Four or five puff-balls, perfectly 

 dry, are passed on to a long iron pin and lighted. 

 The pin is then stuck into one of the sides of the 

 excavation, and the hole covered with the bee-hive, 

 the ends of the towel being pulled up and fastened 

 against the hive by the loose earth, the smoke is 

 prevented from escaping. In four or five minutes 

 the hive may be lifted up ; all the bees are found 

 upon the plate in a state- of insensibility. This 



