208 Bees : A Year's Work in the Hive. [Sess. 



wish many members of our Club could have been near me to 

 have observed what was to me a most interesting sight, and 

 one never to be forgotten ! 



One circumstance must be gratifying to us all — namely, the 

 knowledge that these most useful birds exist in such quite in- 

 calculable numbers. I observe in the newspapers that immense 

 flights of the swallow tribe were seen about the same time at 

 Chiswick and Norwood. 



SUNNTSIDE, MOKDEN, SUEEEY, 



9th Nov. 1896. 



IL—BEES : A YEAR'S WORK IN THE HIVE. 



By Mr ALISTER MURRAY. 



{Read Nov. 25, 1896.) 



From a very early period bees have excited the attention of 

 naturalists, as well as of many intelligent persons who made 

 no claim to scientific research ; and there need be no wonder 

 at this, seeing they are a most delightful study. I am only 

 "sorry that the paper upon such an interesting subject should 

 be given by myself, for I am afraid that I will scarcely be 

 able to do it justice. 



What I shall say here about bees will comprise a few notes 

 from my own observations during at least thirty years' work 

 with them. I shall leave it to the scientific entomologist to 

 explain to you the structure of the bee. I believe that the 

 entomologist's and naturalist's ideas and information about 

 bees are limited mostly to what is seen at the dissecting-table 

 or under the microscope. Sometimes the purely scientific 

 observer may get a few hours', it may be days', or even 

 weeks', observation of them in their natural state ; but what 

 can a few weeks or months do to give one a fair idea of the 

 natural habits of bees ? Therefore, from my long study of 

 them in their natural state, I may be able to tell you some 

 things about them which are often very imperfectly known. 



Before the introduction of the frame-hive the bee-hive was 



