May 18, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAM>ENBB. 



33S 



twenty years, and think that, say three or four days out of the 

 seven, they ought to have water to drink — not much at a time ; 

 aay half a toaonpful for the largest varieties, as I'atagonians, 

 Lop-eared, and Belgian Uare Rabbits, and a little less for the 

 ■mailer varieties. Every alternate morning, or nearly so, I 

 give peas soaked for twelve hoars In fresh water, and a little of 

 the water with thorn, and I find generally they drink the water 

 first, especially in hot weather. Last year many valuable 

 Babbits died, for the summer was dry, and there was, there- 

 fore, very little moisture even in the green food ; and I know a 

 gentleman who gave no water, and lost most of his valuable 

 prize Rabbits in consequence. It seems cruel in the extreme 

 to deprive them of water, when we all know that in a natural 

 state they feed at night when all vegetation is saturated with 

 dew, and the food generally is of a moist nature, and not dry 

 oats, hay, and straw as when in hutches. 



Porridge twice a-week of Indian meal, or of that and common 

 oatmeal mixed, is good for them, and more moist than bran 

 and oats daily. Potatoes boiled with a handful of meal, and 

 rapecake flour mixed at times, help to fatten. Malt dust and 

 bran mixed and given dry they also like. A variety of food no 

 doubt is of great importance. 



I have not named the varieties of green food given generally, 

 as all know what Rubbits like. I give chicory every other 

 day when in season. I grow it for the purpose, and they 

 like it. 



As to breeding, I never have more than four litters during 

 a year, and if wanted " extra strong " only three. I leave 

 the young ones always eight or ten weeks with the doe, being 

 anre that she is supplied with the best of food, and in abun- 

 dance. A breakfast of milk and bread, or the two as a be- 

 ginning, is very good for her; then carrots, &o., and crushed 

 oats. 



As to does eating their young ones, that will at times happen, 

 though they are supplied with water or milk, which should 

 always be about the time the litters are expected, nest made, 

 &o. A sudden fright, as from a cat unexpectedly presenting 

 itself, or a mouse running across the hutch, will induce this 

 cannibalism. 



The hutch should be mice-proof both as regards the woodwork 

 and netting ; perpendicular three-eighths strong galvanised 

 netting is the best and cheapest in the end. To have the hutch 

 clean and well ventilated before the litters come is of great im- 

 portance ; and after being swept out, if not well ventilated, a 

 Uttle disinfecting powder should be sprinkled about. The 

 floor should be covered with fine ashes and sawdust mixed, 

 before the straw (oat is the beet) is put in, and a little hay 

 can be given daily. 



I think if the various fanciers would at times'give a few hints 

 respecting Rabbits generally in the pages of this Journal it 

 would be of service to others. Why should not Rabbits at 

 times peep out of their hutches and show to the world that they, 

 like poultry. Pigeons, and bees, are worthy of being spoken 

 about ?— Chaeles Eayson. 



LiRGE Duck's Egg. — One of my Aylesbury Dnoks has laid 

 snch a large egg that I determined to weigh it. It weighed 

 6i ozs. On breaking it I found it contained the ordinary 

 amount of white, two yolks, and another perfect egg. This 

 also I broke, and found that it contained a fair-sized yolk and 

 a good deal of white.— R. S. S. W. 



BEES NEAR MANCHESTER AND AT CARLUKE, 

 LANARKSHIRE. 



The following note describes what the bees are doing at Car- 

 luke. I have had no swarms this season. Five or six of my 

 hives are ready, but the weather is so cold that I think they 

 are better nnswarmed. Mr. Young, of Denton, in this neigh- 

 bourhood, had a natural swarm on the 23rd of April. — A. Pet- 

 TIOKEW, i?i«,'io(me, near Manchester. 



" The bees are thriving very well here (Carluke), as well as 

 with you. A great many hives appear to be ready for swarm- 

 ing. My brother has eked five of his ; they were lying out very 

 much, but he thought it tio early to take swarms off them. I 

 saw him last night. He told me that he had looked at some of 

 those which he had ekeJ, and that they had their combs down 

 to the board again. There is a man here of the name of Neil- 

 son, who has some hives standing down at Mr. Stewart's, of 

 Erownlee ; he drew off two swarms on Saturday last (May 1st). 



The old stocks weighed :t!» lbs. and 40 lbs. respectively after 

 the swarms were taken from them. These are the only swarms 

 I have heard of in this (juarter. The thatchers are not off yet. 

 Ho was looking at them yesterday, but could see no queens set, 

 BO did not take them off. They have been lying out for a long 

 time, and are very full of bees, but the weather has taken a 

 great change. It was exceedingly hot, but is now extremely 

 cold — everything parched and dried. A good fall of rain would 

 be very acceptable. Moisture is much needed." — R. R." 



CAI'TURK OF A BEES' NEST IN TIMOR. 



The following extract from Mr. Wallace's "Malay Archi- 

 pelago " recently published, fully describes the plundering of a 

 bees' nest in Timor, at which the author was present, as stated 

 by Mr. Woodbury in page 301 of our present volume. After 

 remarking that " Almost the only exports of Timor are sandal 

 wood and bees' wax " Mr. Wallace says : — 



" The bees' wax is a still more important and valuable 

 product formed by the wild bees (Apis dorsata), which build 

 huge honeycombs suspended in the open air from the under 

 side of the lofty branches of the highest trees. These are of a 

 semicircular form, and often 3 or 4 feet in diameter. I once 

 saw the natives take a bees' nest, and a very interesting sight 

 it was. In the valley where I used to collect insects, I one day 

 saw three or four Timorese men and boys under a high tree, 

 and, looking np, saw on a very lofty horizontal branch three 

 large bees' combs. The tree was straight and smooth-barked, 

 and without a branch, till at 70 or 80 feet from the ground it 

 gave out the limb which the bees had chosen for their home. 

 As the men were evidently looking after the bees, I waited to 

 watch their operations. One of them first produced a long 

 piece of wood, apparently the stem of a small tree or creeper, 

 which he had brought with him, and began splitting it through 

 in several directions, which showed that it was very tough and 

 stringy. He then wrapped it in palm leaves, which were 

 secured by twisting a slender creeper round them. He then 

 fastened his cloth tightly round his loins, and producing 

 another cloth wrapped it round his head, neck, and body, and 

 tied it firmly round his neck, leaving his face, arms, and legs 

 completely bare. Slung to his girdle he carried a long thin 

 coil of cord; and while he had been making these preparations 

 one of his companions had cut a strong creeper or bush rope 

 8 or 10 yards long, to one end of which the wood torch was 

 fastened, and lighted at the bottom, emitting a steady stream 

 of smoke. Just above the torch a chopping knife was fastened 

 by a short cord. 



" The bee-hunter now took hold of the bush rope just above 

 the torch, and passed the other end round the trunk of the 

 tree, holding one end in each hand. Jerking it up the tree a 

 little above his head he set his foot against the trunk, and lean- 

 ing back began walking up it ; it was wonderful to see the skill 

 with which he took advantage of the slightest irregularities of 

 the bark or obliquity of the stem to aid his ascent, jerking the 

 stiff creeper a few feet higher when he had found a firm 

 hold for his bare foot. It almost made me giddy to look at him 

 as he rapidly got up — thirty, forty, fifty above the ground ; and 

 I kept wondering how he could possibly mount the next few 

 feet of straight smooth trunk. Still, however, he kept on with 

 as much coolness and apparent certainty as if he were going 

 up a ladder, till he got within 10 or 1.5 feet of the bees. Then 

 he stopped a moment and took care to swing the torch (which 

 hung just at his feet), a little towards these dangerous insects, 

 so as to send up the stream of smoke between him and them. 

 Still going on, in a minute more he brought himself under the 

 limb, and in a manner quite unintelligible to me, seeing that 

 both bands were occupied in supporting himself by the creeper, 

 managed to get upon it. 



" By this time the bees began to be alarmed, and formed a 

 dense buzzing swarm just over him, but he brought the torch 

 up closer to him, and coolly brushed away those that settled on 

 his arms or legs. Then stretching himself along the limb, he 

 crept towards the nearest comb and swung the torch just under 

 it. " The moment the smoke touched it, its colour changed in a 

 most curious manner from black to white, the myriads of bees 

 that had covered it flying off and forming a dense cloud above 

 and around. The man then lay at full length along the limb, 

 and brushed off the remaining bees with his hand, and then 

 drawing his knife cut off the comb at one slice close to the tree, 

 and attaching the thin cord to it let it down to his companions 

 below. He was all this time enveloped in a crowd of angry 



