AprU 8, 1875. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICUIiTURE AND COTTAaE GARDENER. 



287 



<lariDg the months of January, Febtaary, and March, if standing 

 out of doors. — A. Pettigeew. 



OUR NATIVE BEES. 



Few persona have any idea that we have in these islands about 

 220 species, that they vary in size from one-and-a-half to about 

 fourteen lines in length (I need hardly say a line is the twelfth 

 part of an inch). Soma are almost entirely destitute of pubes- 

 cence, while others, as the bumble bees, are densely covered. 

 The colour of their outer shell or case is generally a blackish 

 brown, though sometimes quite a blue black ; several are bronzy, 

 while some are beautifully variegated with red, yellow, or white. 

 Of coui-se I am alluding to British species only. It is exclusively 

 the female and neuter that collect the honey and pollen for the 

 subsistence of the future young. The males do nothing but 

 make themselves as happy as the sunshine will allow them, 

 though no doubt, in sporting about from flower to flower, they 

 are unconsciously making themselves useful by assisting nature 

 in the distributiou of pollen. This is collected in various ways. 

 Some of them carry it on the shank of the hinder leg, soma 

 on the whole leg, which is densely covered with long hairs for 

 the purpose. One large genus (.\ndrena) has a curled lock of 

 hair at the base of the hind leg, beneath it; the back part of the 

 thorax or middle portion of the body is generally more or less 

 covered with longer or shorter pubescence, sometimes curled; 

 and some (the social bumble and hive bees) collect into a basket, 

 as it is called, formed by an expanded joint of the hind leg 

 (tibia), round which is placed a row of stiff seta), curved slightly 

 inwards, and standing at nearly right angles to the outer surface 

 of the leg. The hind legs of all those constructive bees which 

 gather pollen on the leg are considerably thickened. 



Another group collect on the belly, the plates of which are 

 densely covered with stiff hairs for the purpose. The leaf- 

 cutters and masons (Megachile and Osmia) are the principal ones 

 of this division. 



There is another large group of six genera, that have no 

 special provision for carrying pollen ; and they need none, be- 

 canse they do not collect any : they were named by the Rev. W. 

 Kirby " Cuckoo bees " from the resemblance their habits bear to 

 those of that bird ; but more of them anon. The males in all 

 are harmless insects, though soma of them look far from it with 

 their large forcipate mandibles ; and when held in the fingers 

 work their bodies about as if they meant stinging; but it is only 

 the femiles aud neuters that are furnished with that weapon. 

 The males also differ in having thirteen joints to the antenn.'e, 

 whereas the female has only twelve : tha latter generally has 

 that member subclavata and geniculated, the former usually 

 more or less filiform; the male has seven segments in the 

 abdomen, the female has six, and in one genus only (Anthidium) 

 is smaller than the male. They are separated into two great 

 divisions; in the first of these the tongue has two folds, and in 

 the other three ; the former are called AndrenidiB, or ahort- 

 tongued ; tha latter Apido3, or true bees. The Andrenidfe are 

 again obtuse aud acute tongued. There are two genera of the 

 obtuse tongues, one of which (Colletes) bores its tuuuels into the 

 earth, dry bank or walls, and the other (Proaopis), a small black 

 bee, bores into dead branches of brambles aud rose trees — in 

 fact, in any ready-made hole, or into dry banks. The hole being 

 made or provided, they construct a cell, like a thimble in form, 

 by lining the bottom of the hole with a secretion from the mouth, 

 which dries and looka like goldbeaters' skin. Having collected 

 BuflScient honey and pollen, which is placed at the bottom of 

 the cell, the insect lays an egg on the mass, closes the mouth of 

 jhe cell, and proceeds to iform a fresh one, joining to that 

 already made. In this way she makes several of these cells, and 

 then closes the mouth of the burrow, if .in the earth, with soil. 

 The obtuse tongue of these bees seems admirably adapted to 

 plaster the cells with tha secretion. — [Rardwicke's Science 

 Gossip.) 



HOW TO MAKE A BEE HIVE. 



First, form the bottom board. Latl it be 11 inches wide, 

 by about 20 long, and about 1 inch thick. Put cleats on the 

 under side to prevent warping. Plane the upper side smooth. 

 Take a piece of hoop iron 11 inches long, aeven-eighths wide ; 

 one-fourth inch from one edge, make six or eight holes through 

 to drive nails. Put under the hoop iron a strip of veneering of 

 hard wood, driving nails through this as well as hoop iron. 

 Nail it across about an inch from the end or bottom board. 

 The hoop iron should project over the place under it three- 

 eighths of an inch. This will give a space to hook on the 

 fmme. 



Next obtain material for frame. Let two pieces be about 

 11 inches long, one-half inch thick, and IJ wide, measurements 

 exact. Two pieces I84 inches long from inch boards, and three- 

 eighths thick. Nail through the shortest pieces into the longest 

 ones, just one-fourth inch from top aud bottom. Nail firmly 

 with finishing naiU. Guides for straight combs should be in 



tha top. The frame ia held in position by a piece of hoop iron 

 3 inches long, bent into a right angle. Two holes are made 

 through it to fasten it with nails to the lower corner of one end 

 of the frame, aud it is ready to hook under the hoop iron on the 

 bottom board, and the frame will stand upright. A small nail 

 dropped in loosely prevents unhooking. A half dozen will sit 

 on the bottom board. A wider board can be made if wanted to 

 make tha hive larger, or two can be joined together. Directly 

 under the centre, where tha front end of the frame sets on the 

 bottom board, an entrance can be made. Let it be cut out of 

 the bottom boards half an inch in depth and three-fourths wide, 

 extending 4 inches under each frame. The aides and top are 

 made of half-inch boards, planed smoothly just the size of 

 frames, with cleats nailed on each end to prevent warping. Put 

 one on each side, and one on the top, and tie together with a 

 stout rubber cord. It will hold everything snug, and the hive 

 is done. It is convenient for our actual needs. _ 



But aa our readers may desire surplus honey in boxes aa well 

 as to extract, arrangements may be made for them. Hivo the 

 bottom board wider than specified above, and a number more 

 frames, according to the strength of the colony. Then make a 

 number of small frames — be sure and have enough. The boards 

 of which they are made need be only one-fourth inch in thick- 

 ness, and 11 inch in width, and the length just right to make a 

 box when nailed together, 5 by 6 inches square. Six of these 

 will go in one of these large frames. If they do not stay in 

 properly a little wedge will hold them firmly. A guide can be 

 put in the top of each. 



As many frames as a colony can possibly need should be 

 prepared; a part or all may be put into the hive with the others, 

 and all shut up closely. It only two are put in let ono be on 

 each side outside of the others ; they will need but little atten- 

 tion until full. Bat if bees are crowded outside, more should 

 be put between the full combs of the hive. A number of these 

 frames, with combs started in them, may be put together on 

 the top of the hive, covered with a box— holes in tha bottom of 

 course — glass or boards on the outside. These combs will be 

 filled in less time if first put in the main hive and then re- 

 moved to the top. When these little frames are put between 

 the full combs of the hive they will need looking at once in five 

 or six days, to see that brood is not started ; in which case they 

 should be removed and replaced with empty ones, the former 

 to be set away until the brood ia chilled, before they are put on 

 the top, as maturing brood will darken the combi.—[dmericaii 

 Agricalturist.) 



Bath and West of England Society's Meeting at Croydon. 

 — The show-yard will be opened to the public from ten o'clock 

 in the morning until seven in the evening on Monday, May 31st, 

 Tuesday, June Ist, Wednesday, June 2ud, and Thursday, 

 June 3rd, and from nine o'clock in the morning until six in the 

 evening on Friday, June Ith ; care being taken that no cattle or 

 other objects of interest shall be removed from the yard until 

 after three o'clock on that day, and no poultry until five o'clock. 



DEATH OP MB. 



FIRTH'S PRIZE 

 RABBIT. 



SILVER-GREY 



In a letter we have received Mr. Firth states—" I writa to say 

 that my young prize Silver-Grey buck died shortly after arriving 

 home from the HuU Show. Before his death, and on my first 

 opening the hamper, I at once wrote to Mr. A. Hudson, the 

 Secretary of the Hull Show, stating that my Rabbit was fast 

 sinking, and requesting particulars of its condition whilst at 

 the Show and at his departure. This brought a brief note from 

 Mr. Hudson, in which he only states that my ' two letters were 

 to hand,' and that ' tha contents of which ' he had ' noted.' " 



Not having received any further communication from Mr. 

 Hudson, aud°hiving ascertained that the death was occasioned 

 by some irritant poison, Mr. Firth ooncludea hia letter to us by 

 adding — " I hold the Committee of the Hall Show reaponsible 

 for damages which I have sustained, aud I shall certainly de- 

 mand justice." 



Dkillino Glass. — Few who have not made the trial would 

 credit with what facility glass may be perforated in any desired 

 direction by means of a common drill applied in a proper man- 

 ner. Small circular holes in glass sheets or cylinders are often 

 required by the practical student, who does not care to hava 

 recourse to the " shop " for every little job. Supposing it to be 

 desired to bore a hole through a glass sheet, such as rnight be 

 employed in the construction of a pla*e electrical machine. A 

 perfectly flat board should ba provided, on which the glass may 

 be rested, and a small depression made with a bradawl exactly 

 in the centre. If a piece of boxcloth be placed over this board 

 and fastened down tightly by tacks at the sides, all dinger of 

 breakage through inequality of surface will be removed. The 

 position of the hole having been decided upon, tha glazed sur- 

 face of the glass (the akin) is grazed at that point by a scratch 



