HIVES WITH IMMOVABLE COMBS. 



135 



to make new combs, which were considered better than older 

 ones (676). 



278. Some bee-keepers, having noticed that bees place 

 their honey at the highest part of the hive, added a cap or 

 upper ^ory, which i3oinmnnicated with the hive through a 

 hole in the top of the latter. Still later, Apiarists found out 

 that when the hive was very deep and the connecting hole 

 small, the bees refused to store their honey in the cap, and 



Fig. 54. 



STRAW EKE HIVE. 



(From Hamet.) 



B, body ; A, hole to connect the 



stories with the surplus cap. 



Fig. 55. 



THE RADOUAN EKE HIVE. 



(From Hamet.) 



they made their hives with open ceilings, repla<?ing the top 

 board of the breeding-stoiy with slats or bars. The hives 

 were aftein\'ards divided into several horizontal sections, called 

 "ekes" (figs. 54 and 55). Instead of using a cap, some Apiar- 

 ists removed the upper stoiy, when full of honey, and placed 

 a new stoiy under the others. The bees then continued their 

 constructions downwards. To separate the sections from one 

 another, they used a wire that cut the combs. Butler, in his 

 "Feminine Monarchy," 1634, showed hives composed of four 

 sections, piled upon one another. Palteau, in 1750, advised 

 bee-keepers to use a perforated ceiling at the top of each 



