176 HIVES. 



combs, which wi. thus have the form of a wedge, 

 and llf inches between end and end; the bars to 

 be 1 1 inch in breadth, 7 in number, and to measure 

 from the centre of one to the centre of another 1 finch.* 

 He has also, on the suggestion of Mr. Golding, an 

 intelligent Kentish apiarian, adopted another im- 

 provement. To induce the bees to lay the foundation 

 of their combs on the centre, and in the direction of the 

 bars, instead of across the interstices, as they often 

 do, thus preventing their easy removal when desired, 

 Wildman spread over them a sheet of paper. Huish 

 uses a covering of gauze, and Howatson inserts slips 

 of glass ; the two former from a belief that the builders 

 would not erect their structure on so unstable a found- 

 ation as paper or gauze ; and the latter, from a know- 

 ledge of their dislike to the smooth and slippery surface 

 of glass. Dr. B/s method, recommended by his friend, 

 is preferable to them all ; it consists in fixing to the 

 under side of each bar a small piece of comb, and 

 thus furnishing the bees with a line of direction which 

 they will implicitly follow. The expedient of a guide- 

 comb .has been long known and practised, but the 

 mode of attaching it to the bar adopted by Dr. B. is 

 simple and ingenious. He pours a little melted wax 

 on the under surface of the bar, and, while it is warm 

 and in a liquid state, applies to it longitudinally a piece 

 of guide-comb, taking care that the centre of the 

 comb, formed by the bottoms of the cells, shall ex- 



* The back and front boards, in consequence of the slope, 

 measure in thickness one inch at the top, and rather more 

 than one inch and six- eighths at the bottom. 



