THE HONEY-BEE. 183 



open is indispensable for experimental operations; 

 such as seizing the Queen, cutting out brood-comb, 

 &c. ; D, D, are shutters 1 ^ inch in thickness, which 

 render unnecessary the surtout described by Febu- 

 rier, and are much more convenient. Fig. 5, is the 

 floor-board, which has the entrances for there are 

 two, one on each side in the thickness, sloping up- 

 wards to the centre of the floor ; A, A, are two iron 

 rods which keep the hive firm on its board, by pass- 

 ing through the two staples in the centre frame. 

 Fig. 6, is the hive mounted on its floor-board, with 

 its shutters closed ; B, is the roof, sloping on each 

 side, and fastened by a hook and eye at each corner. 

 The whole turns on a pivot, c, which is the upper 

 end of a post driven into the ground. Fig. 7, is the 

 hive seen in profile. When the observer is satisfied 

 with inspecting one side of the comb, he may wheel 

 the hive round and examine the other, without 

 changing his station, taking care, before turning it, 

 to open the door nearest to him, and shut the 

 other immediately after. By this mode of proceed- 

 ing he may contemplate his favourites at his leisure, 

 without disturbing them, and without the slightest 

 danger of being annoyed by them ; for it is true that 

 they become so much accustomed to the opening of 

 the shutters that the admission of the light ceases to 

 disturb them. Feburier speaks of the difficulty of in- 

 troducing the bees into this hive the difficulty is very 

 trifling. Raise the hive three inches from its board, 

 supporting it below by a lath of wood, placed on edge, 

 two feet long and three inches deep ; there will thus 



