THE HONEY-BEE. 227 



and, in the next place, we have the industrious col- 

 lectors themselves ready in another season to renew 

 their labours and add to our riches, and requiring 

 only to he united to some well-provisioned stock-hive 

 which can afford to maintain them. It is pitiable to 

 reflect that the small degree of additional trouble re- 

 quired in uniting them,* should prove so effectual an 

 obstacle to this conservative practice. Yet the opera- 

 tion with each hive so treated, need not occupy more 

 than fifteen or twenty minutes. In the evening when 

 all are quiet, turn up the hive which is to be operated 

 upon, fixing it in a chair from which the stuffed bot- 

 tom has been removed ; place an empty hive above 

 it, wrap a cloth round the point of junction, to pre- 

 vent the bees from coming out, and annoying the ope- 

 rator ; then, with a short stick or stone in each hand, 

 beat round the sides but gently for fear of loosen- 

 ing the combs. In five minutes, the panic-struck 

 insects will hastily mount into the empty hive, with 



bowels. Some medical men are of opinion that 

 and not the honey is the cause of the evil. 



On submitting this note to Dr. Bevan, he made the follow- 

 ing remarks upon it : " The fumes of sulphur are converted 

 into sulphuric acid, (vitriolic acid,) and the quantity which 

 mingles with the honey is very small. I am fully persuaded, 

 that so far from its causing the honey to disagree with the 

 stomach and bowels, its tendency would be to produce a 

 contrary effect. It is the honey, and the honey only that 

 disagrees ; to a greater or less extent, of course, according to 

 the pasturage from which it has been collected. I knew a 

 gentleman who could not be in the same room with uncovered 

 honey without having his bowels disordered/' 



* The French call this operation " marrying hive*.'* 



