OR, MANUAIv OF THE APIARY. S09 



insectivorous, and do immense good by destroying- our insect 

 pests. The king-birds are the only ones in the United States 

 that deserve censure. The species in California is Tyrannus 

 verticalis, or Western king-bird ; that of the East, Tyrannus 

 tyrannus. Another, the chimney swallow of Europe, has the 

 same evil habit. Our chimney swallow has no evil ways. I 

 am sure, from personal observation, that these birds capture 

 and eat the workers, as well as drones, as I have taken worker- 

 bees from their stomachs ; and, I dare say, they would pay no 

 more respect to the finest Italian queen. They perch on a tree 

 or post and dart with the speed of an arrow as their poor victim 

 comes heavily laden towards the hives. How is it that the 

 bird is not stung ? Some say that they pull the bees apart and 

 simply eat the honey- stomach. Do they handle the bee so as 

 to avoid the stings ? Who will determine this point? King- 

 birds killed close by an apiary here at Claremont had only rob- 

 ber-flies in their stomachs ; thus it was befriending the bees. 

 Yet, in view of the good that these birds do, unless they are 

 far more numerous and troublesome than I have ever observed 

 them to be, I should certainly be slow to recommend the death 

 warrant. 



TOADS. 



The same may be said of toads, which may often be seen 

 sitting demurely at the entrance of the hives, and lapping up 

 the full-laden bees with the lightning-like movement of their 

 tongues, in a manner which can but be regarded with interest, 

 even by him who suffers loss. Mr. Moon, the well-known api- 

 arist, made this an objection to low hives ; yet, the advantage 

 of such hives far more than compensates, and with a bottom- 

 board, such as described in the chapter on hives, we shall find 

 that the toads do very little damage. In case of toads, the bees 

 sting their throats, as I have taken, on several occasions, the 

 stings from the throats of the toads, after seeing the latter 

 capture the bees. As the toads make no fuss, it seems prob- 

 able that their throats are callous against the stings. 



These little pests are a consummate nuisance about the 

 apiary. They enter the hives in winter, mutilate the combs. 



