JANUARY 1, 1913 



17 



exit they might find, then cut a small square 

 liole lower clown, over which the escape noAV 

 lies. In two days every bee in the house 

 was using my new hole as an entrance; 

 then I put on the escape, placing my hive 

 in position at the same time. I do not know 

 how the Porter works; but I must say the 

 bees simply fell through this one of mine. 

 They just crowded one another out through 

 tliis spiral sirring flapper I made. Any bee 

 that once crawled into the tin was forced 

 bodil}- out. I can move the flapper out by 

 blowing on it, but it opens out only. No 

 bee ever crawled back. 



Now for the queer part : 



Those bees accepted a hive without eggs, 

 bees, or brood. They had foundation start- 

 ers only. They built comb, filling it with 

 honey. There were no laying workers among 

 them, and no queen, as I ascertained later, 

 before introducing an Italian queen. 



They were three weeks without a queen, 

 and simply went crazy with joy when I 

 gave them their new mother. She was of 

 good quality, laying on the second day 

 after coming through the mail. They start 

 at daylight, working like mad, and I can 

 say in all sincerity that, during the past 

 two days, those same bees have been flying 

 at work in a steady rain which has left 

 large puddles everjnvhere one looks. 



The whole business looks queer to me as 

 they come in all Avet Avith their Avings spread 

 wide as they Avalk — no stopj^ing them. I 

 Avish I liad about 100 colonies of such bees. 

 I'd stop driving automobiles. 



San Mateo, Cal., Sept. 7. 



BEES BUILDING WORDS IN COMB HONEY 



BY I. HOPKINS 



In the August 15th issue, page 515, you 

 ask for articles on the method of making 

 the bees build letters in comb. The ac- 

 companying photo shoAvs the Avords " State 

 Apiary '' built by the bees Ave had in the 

 government model apiary, established a feAV 

 years ago at our international exhibition. 

 The body of the photo is an exhibit of a 

 portion of the honey raised at the model 

 apiary; but oAving to the photographer not 

 using a color-screen on his lens the amber- 

 colored honey in the glass jars came out 

 black like ink. 



The case over the exhibit contains the 

 Avords mentioned, in comb honey. The case 

 was nine feet long, and the words occupied 

 a length of nearly eight feet. At each end 

 of the case is a bell glass filled with comb 

 honej", built by the bees also. Each letter 



New Zealand Honey Exhibit. The words, " State Apiary," were built by the bees in comb honey. 



