no THE HUMBLE-BEE vn 



edge was inserted in a groove made in the edge of 

 the wooden disc, as shown in Fig. 23. This made 

 a splendid joint, remaining practically waterproof 

 and vermin-proof in all weathers. To prepare the 

 domicile, it was only necessary to place the cover 

 over a cavity made in the ground for the nest, and 

 to tread or stamp on it, so that the metal rim entered 

 the ground. Thus no crevice was left for vermin 

 or rain to get in. The cover was also easily lifted 

 and replaced. It seemed a great improvement on 

 the old method of digging out a sod and placing 

 a tile under it, and my hopes for it, as will be seen, 

 were justified. 1 



Between April 1 and the middle of May, seventy 

 nests were laid down under these covers in and 

 around the apiary, in my garden, and around the 

 edges of the surrounding plantations of trees. They 

 were placed in grassy ground where the turf was 

 firm and fine, the metal rim cutting into the turf and 

 making for itself a bed, out of which it could be 

 lifted without raising the surrounding surface when 

 I wished to examine the nests. The nests were 

 made of the prepared grass already described. The 

 tunnels connecting the nests to the surface varied in 

 length from about 15 in. to 18 in., and were at 

 first made about f in. wide, but, as many got choked, 

 they were enlarged about the middle of May to 

 i-g- inch. 



The nests under these close-fitting covers were 



1 This cover has been registered, and arrangements have been made for 

 dealers in bee-appliances and entomological apparatus to supply it. 



