40 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



INTRODtrCING QUEENS. 



I have changed the Italian queen I have 

 three times this season— done it by the method 

 -of Mr. Alley, by smoking. I had good suc- 

 cess each time, and should not hesitate to in- 

 troduce any queen, however costly, in this way. 



' ITALIANIZIKG. 



Most writers say, remove the old queen six 

 to twelve hours before inserting a sealed queen 

 cell. I have uniformly inserted the queen cell 

 at the same time that I removed the queen, and 

 have not had a cell destroyed. 



STRAIGHT COMBS. 



I have no infallible rule. But bees build new 

 combs in a parallel line with adjoining combs. 

 An empty frame placed between two straight 

 ones, would inevitably be filled with straight 

 comb, if the bees did not make the full combs 

 adjoining the empty frame thicker, especially 

 near the top; or they will make one much 

 thicker than the other, and thus cause the new 

 comb to be made on one side of the empty 

 frame instead of the centre. I have remedied 

 this in a great measure in my hives by taking 

 out the full frames, and, after brushing off the 

 bees, cutting the honey cells off with a long 

 knife to even thickness with the top of the 

 frame, ?. e.. | of an inch. By cutting over a 

 pail or pan you can save much very nice honey; 

 and before the bees can make the combs thicker 

 again, the new frame will be filled with perfect- 

 ly straight brood comb. I do not advise any one 

 to do so. It is only this season that I have done 

 this. Perhaps late in the season it might not 

 answer as well. I have seen no bad results as 

 yet, but, on the contrary, I think I can show 

 as many perfect combs to the hive as most bee- 

 keepers. 



DRONE COMB. 



Can any one tell me the reason of my bees 

 this year building so much drone comb ? In 

 nearly all of my hives, whether they have lay- 

 ing queens or not, the bees seem determined to 

 build drone comb. If they begin at the top 

 with worker comb they will change to drone 

 comb at a distance of from two to four inches 

 down; or will build worker comb at one end of 

 the frame and drone comb at the other. I have 

 practiced cutting the drone comb out, but I 

 think this retards comb building very material- 

 ly. Has any one a reason, or a better remedy? 



J. TOMLTNSON. 



Newburg, (Wis.,) July 17, 1807. 

 The Bee-Eater. 



MEROPS APIASTER. 



E ■ There are many species of the genus Merojys, 

 all of which are distinguished by their brilliant 

 plumage, and take their prey, consisting of bees, 

 wasps, gnats, &c., on the wing, like the swallow, 

 and what seems remarkable, without being stung 

 by them. The one we are about to describe is 

 among the most elegant of European birds, and 

 next to the Robin and Kingbird may be con- 

 sidered as the most brilliant in point of color. 

 It is a native of the warmer parts of Europe, par- 



ticularly among the islands of the Grecian 

 Archipelago, and of many parts of both Asia 

 and Africa; but in the north of Europe it is rare- 

 ly seen. In shape this bird resembles the 

 halcyon tribe, and is about the size of a black- 

 bird. The bill is slightly curved, sharp-pointed, 

 rather long, and black ; the irides bright red ; 

 the crown of the head and the upper parts of the 

 neck are of an orange-chestnut color ; the 

 throat yellow, the scapulars, lower part of the 

 back, and wing-coverts pale yellow, more or less 

 shaded with an admixture of red and green. 

 The smaller quill feathers arc rufous-chestnut 

 tipped with green ; the larger sea-green with 

 dusky tips ; the rump and tail are sea-green, 

 the latter about three inches long, the two mid- 

 dle feathers projecting, in a pointed form, to 

 some distance beyond the rest. The sides of 

 the head, above the eyes, and the whole under 

 parts are sea-green ; from the corners of the 

 bill, on each side of the head, a black streak 

 passes across the eyes, curving downwards, 

 and nearly meeting the tips of a black crescent 

 placed across the snout, and separating the yel- 

 low of that part from the sea-green of the under 

 parts. The legs are short, and of a reddish 

 brown color. It builds in deep holes on the 

 banks of rivers, forming a nest of moss, and 

 laying from five to seven white eggs. 



The Indian Bee-eater {Merops mridis) is 

 about half the size of the European species, but 

 the middle tail-feathers are considerably longer. 

 On the upper part of the breast is a crescent- 

 shaped transverse mark, with the horns point- 

 ing upAvards ; the back and lesser covert-fea- 

 thers of the wings are of a parrot-green color ; 

 the rump or coverts of the tail of a bluish-green; 

 the breast and belly of a light green, and the 

 tail is green. The greater quills of the wings 

 are dusky at their tips; the centre quills are of 

 an orange color, bordered with green and 

 marked with black spots, the extreme tips being 

 orange ; the first row of coverts above the quills 

 is orange in the centre and green on the edges. 

 The bill is long and sharp-pointed, having a 

 downward incurvation ; the claws are pretty 

 strong, and the legs and feet of a dusky brown 

 color. This species is a native of Bengal, parts 

 of Madagascar, &c. 



•»M ■ 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Mr. Editor: I usually double second swarms, 

 saving a few bees with one of the queens, to 

 make good losses. I find that bees from caps 

 carried into the cellar will join these sinall 

 swarms peaceably, and remain when carried 

 out next day. This would be a safe way, for a 

 novice, to furnish an Italian queen with bees. 



Swarms losing their queen will run into other 

 swarms of two or three days standing ; but on 

 putting bees of a second swarm into a second 

 swarm of the day previous, they were stung. 

 Swarms of the same day mixing show some 

 fight. What niiikes the difference ? Must they 

 come showing their conscious quecnlessness to 

 insure a kind reception ? 



I have ninety old stands and one hundred 

 new ones. F. H. Miner. 



Lemont, Illinois. 



