the honey but live on the bees. I pro- 

 tected my hives from the larger mice by 

 placing before the entrances a piece of 

 tin in which I had cut holes 1 inch 

 square ; through these holes the shrew 

 passed while they were in a starved 

 condition, after getting into the hives 

 they got fat and could not get out, so 

 they died, probably from want of water, 

 for I found them dead in nearly every 

 hive which showed the effects of their 

 visit. I found from two to three dead 

 shrews in the colonies which were most 

 injured. They eat the thorax of the 

 bee leaving the head and abdomen un- 

 touched. 



I think Dr. Greene must have pro- 

 cured a large sized specimen and a fat 

 one, for they do not generally average 

 more than l| to If inches in length and 

 about i inch in width. While a boy I 

 passed many pleasant hours with my 

 pet shrews. I supposed they were well 

 known and had been spoken of in the 

 earlier bee papers. 



Jonesboro, 111., March 4, 1879. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Atmospheric Bee Feeders, &c. 



JULIUS TOMLINSON. 



In the article in the February number 

 of the Bee Journal, written by Mr. 

 Bingham, there occurs this passage, 

 " C. C. Van Deusen holds a valid patent 

 on all the ' tea kettle ' and other atmos- 

 pheric feeders in use. I mention this 

 that bee-keepers may know who should 

 have the credit, and the reward of this 

 valuable l invention '." 



During a visit at the home of Mr. 

 Bingham, a few days since, I had the 

 pleasure of seeing this " Atmospheric 

 Feeder." I told Mr. Bingham that this 

 was nothing new, and to-day in looking 

 over the old Bee Journals of past 

 years, I find abundant proof of my 

 statement. In the number for July, 

 1868, John M. Price gives a description 

 of such a feeder, to be made of a glass 

 jar with air-tight top. This top is to be 

 punched full of small holes, where it 

 was to be filled and inverted over a hole 

 in the honey board. He remarks " the 

 principle is to have a vacuum and no 

 vent on top ; then you may tip it like a 

 barrel of cider, but unless you give it 

 vent, nothing will run out." Also in 

 the September number for same year, 

 the same writer again describes this 

 feeder, with this variation, " tie a piece 

 of fine cotton cloth over the mouth and 

 place the neck of the bottle in a hole 

 over the cluster of bees." 



Next — In the January number for 

 1874, W. M. Kellogg, describes Adam 



Grimm's Bee Feeder. This description 

 is same as above only a tin can is 

 recommended. He says, " the can 

 must be perfectly air tight." 



Next James Heddon is called. His 

 testimony is found in the number for 

 April, 1874. Mr. Heddon recommends 

 a two quart fruit jar. "•Punch about 

 seventy-five holes the size of a pin, 

 through the cover, and then after filling 

 the jar, screw on the cover, and invert 

 through a hole in the honey board, and 

 you will have a twenty-five cent feeder." 



Next— American Bee Journal for 

 November, 1876, Rev. J. W. Shearer 

 says, " perhaps the simplest feeder is 

 an inverted fruit can, with a piece of 

 thin cloth tied over the top." 



Also in September number for 1875, 

 Mr. A. Benedict says, " Glass tumblers 

 will answer ; fill with syrup ; tie a piece 

 of muslin over the mouth of the tum- 

 bler; turn bottom up, and place them 

 over the bees." 



Since writing the above, I find in 

 Nellis' circular for 1878 that C. C. Van 

 Deusen patented his feeder in July, 

 1870. This would give him a priority of 

 invention, over all the above descrip- 

 tions, except those given by John M. 

 Price in 1868. This it seems to me 

 would cut him off as an original inven- 

 tor. 



I have no wish to detract from any- 

 one's well earned laurels but I do not 

 believe that the principle of thesuspen 

 sion of liquids by atmospheric pressure 

 can be the foundation of a valid patent. 

 The principle is too old. It was used 

 by the Egyptians, in the construction 

 of syphons 1450 years before Christ. 

 And doubtless this principle, in the 

 syphon, was used to draw the water 

 that was made wine at the wedding "in 

 Cana of Gallilee." And in the time of 

 the Pharaohs, Heron describes a drink- 

 ing cup that "no man can drink out of 

 it, but he who knows the art." See 

 Eubank's Hydraulics Book V., and in 

 the same work, Book II., we find cuts of 

 atmospheric watering pots, embodying 

 the same principle, published as early 

 as 1616, and the vestal virgin Tutie,who 

 performed the seeming miracle of car- 

 rying water in a sieve, from the Tiber 

 to the Temple of the Goddess, was 

 probably only a chosen device, in which 

 the same principle, was the means of 

 her success. Many other ancient and 

 modern devices, in which the suspen- 

 sion of liquids by atmospheric pressure 

 is the leading principle, are also des- 

 cribed in the same book. 



But Mr. Bingham also showed me the 

 flat-bottomed comb-foundation by Mr. 

 Van Deusen's process. I have no rea- 

 son to doubt its originality or its great 



