UNICOMB AND LEAF HIVES. 143 



tion in a very easy and simple manner ; but there is 

 much of casualty in their proceedings, and little of 

 science for, in answer to inquiries which I have re- 

 peatedly instituted through the medium of persons 

 residing in the islands of the Archipelago, I have 

 learned that the attainment of either of the advan- 

 tages referred to is liable to great uncertainty ; the 

 mere removal of loaded combs among the Greek 

 apiarists so far from being at all times a simple and 

 easy process, to use the language of one of my in- 

 formants, often involves ' a very delicate and difficult 

 operation.' 



" Huber extended and rendered the system more 

 complete ; probably approximated it more nearly to 

 that of its ancient Greek inventors. These experi- 

 ments, however, of Mr. Golding, myself, and others 

 already detailed, have shown that this hive admitted 

 of still further improvements ; the leaves were too 

 narrow to be applicable to all purposes, and the hive, 

 altogether, has been so much simplified by Mr. G., 

 that I shall confine myself to a description of the 

 particular form and dimensions which he has adopted. 

 The general width of the leaves should be an inch 

 and five-eighths, but slightly varying in the same 

 proportion. The exterior dimensions of this hive are 

 one foot, two and a half inches high, by one foot, one 

 inch deep ; the width will depend on the number of 

 leaves the number usually employed is eight. The 

 perpendicular bars at the front and back converge at 

 the bottom towards each other, so that at the top the 



OF THJ 



TTNIVER 



