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proauhiiig their natural habits as possible, and in which 

 ihcy can be gently examined without alann, that I origi- 

 nally constructed and patented in France my " bar-frame 

 hives," which you see before you, and which hives I sent 

 a few years afterwards to Dr. Bevan for bis use, and the 

 a(^knowledgmeitt of the safe arrival of which I have here in 

 a letter, dated in 1843. If I am not taking up too much 

 of the time of this meeting before going into the question of 

 the Liguriau bees, I will tell you the titles of a few books 

 that it may be as well to consult on bee matters, 

 fluber should be your first study, and your endeavour to 

 refute all his CAperiments. 'I'here was an edition trans- 

 lated by Sir J. G. Dalyell, of Edinburgh, 1841. In 

 1832 there was an attempt to introduce the "ventilation 

 system " with collateral hives, &c., dedicated highly and 

 sold also highly, but 1 need hardly add the question of ven- 

 tilation not being understood by the writer, Mr. Nutt, it 

 turned out a book-making imposition. Dr. E. Bevan, in 

 1S38, made the best and simplest compilation of bee history, 

 assisted by the experiments of Mr. E. Golden, and often 

 confirmed by Dr. Dunbar. In 1842 the Rev. W. C. Catton 

 gave the bee world a work called " My bee book," beauti- 

 fully illustrated, and written, as the able " Reviewer " in 

 the Quarterly said (in after years) in the purest Saxon, and 

 the humblest spirit. We all know the history of the se- 

 cretary of the Bishop of New Zealand (Selwyn), and his 

 zeal in transporting bees to the Colonies, as well as his 

 wonders in the bee world whilst at Christ Church, Oxford. 

 Mr. John Milton, to whom 1 am indebted for the first copy 

 1 ever saw of Wildraann's book on bees, made a small com- 

 piled list of bee books when publishing his own bee history, 

 and showed a list extending from 1629, besides the ancient 

 authors, until 300 stood on the shelves for inspection ; 

 and it is perfectly wonderful to see the number of im- 

 postors and copyists who have followed every device to 

 foist upon the public their various hives and bee books ; 

 and even Sir W. Jardine's excellent volume on the 



