1882-83.] Edinburgh NaUiralists' Field Club. 75 



hives. There is an excellent revolving one at the Alexandra Palace, 

 near London, with Bees working in it all the summer. The great 

 objection to uni-comb observatory hives is the difficulty of wintering 

 Bees in them, as it is the habit of the insects in winter to cluster 

 between the combs. But they afford excellent opportunities for 

 observing all that goes on in the hive, and are extremely inter- 

 esting. 



One of the most useful inventions in Bee management is the 

 slinger. This consists of a small metal box, in which a frame of 

 honey is fixed, and by centrifugal force the honey is sent out of the 

 comb, "and the empty comb and frame placed again in tlie hive. 

 This saves the Bees a large amount of trouble in comb-making. 



I ought, perhaps, to have explained how combs are formed. The 

 Bees hang together in a cluster, and very small, almost transparent 

 lamina3 of wax exude from between the folds of the abdomen. These 

 scales are caught by the hind legs of the Bee, and passed along under 

 the body to the mandibles, and by these worked into comb. 



Honey is wholesome and palatable, and should be produced in 

 this country in far larger quantities than it is, for there are many 

 districts abounding with honey and other flowers where scarcely 

 any Bees are kept : this is said to be especially the case in Derby- 

 shire. It is generally considered that Bees do not go beyond a 

 radius of two miles from their hives ; but in contradiction to this, 

 I have seen mention of them in the Isle of May, which is full four 

 miles from the nearest point of the mainland : but this report of 

 Bees on the May requires confirmation. 



We are apt to suppose that the best way to get pure honey is to 

 buy it in the comb, and, as a general rule, this is correct ; but it is 

 not without exception, for there are ingenious people on the other 

 side the Atlantic, and there is a cheap substance produced there in 

 the manufacture of sugar called " glucose." Now there is nothing 

 deleterious in glucose : it resembles in appearance pale-coloured 

 treacle, and is extensively used in confectionery both here and in 

 America. Some Bee-keepers in the States ascertained that if Bees 

 were supplied with glucose and water, they would take a large 

 quantity, put it in their cells, and seal it up for winter use. Now 

 glucose and water, sold at the price of honey, showed a very good 

 margin of profit, and was indeed a good commercial speculation, 

 and large quantities of this compound in the comb have been, and 

 perhaps still are, imported into this country. As to the honesty 

 of the transaction I need not speak. 



Another subject of adulteration I will mention. This comb- 

 foundation which I exhibit has, since the introduction of bar- framed 

 hives, been extensively used, and is manufactured from Bee's-wax : 

 one maker near Glasgow sold upwards of a ton of it last year. You 

 are aware there are large oil springs in America, and our ingenious 



