THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



71 



[For tho American Bee Journal.] 



Bee Hives, Cuts, and Explanations. 



Mb. Editor : — In the June number of the 

 Bkb Journal, volume 3, page 235, I called the 

 attention of our patent hive men to the propri- 

 ety of giving us nice pictures of their respective 

 patented hives in your Journal, as it would he 

 more attractive for the reader, and give him a 

 better idea of what he is reading about, if ac- 

 companied with a copy of his patent claims in 

 the hive represented. Well, then comes the 

 July number, (volume 4), in which, on page 

 14, we have the illustration of T. F. Bingham's 

 hive ; but he fails to give a copy of his claims — 

 hence we are left -without the desired explana- 

 tion of his il ustration. 



Next comes the August number, and on page 

 38, we are called upon to notice. William Hen- 

 chen's straw movable comb hive. But he also 

 fails to give both the illustration of his hive and 

 the points of his claims — though admitting at 

 the same time that this would be " instructive 

 and useful." He says: — "it is patented and 

 yet free, because I am a zealous friend of bee- 

 culture." If a zealous friend of bee-culture 

 why not illustrate the hive you prefer and give 

 all the explanations of it for the benefit of 

 others, since it is free? Certainly Mr. Hen- 

 chen can have no objection to the exhibition of 

 the likeness of his hive in the American Bee 

 Journal, with the claims to its utility, as long 

 as he remains a zealous friend of bee-culture. 



Who will appear next with the illustration of 

 his hive, and a copy of its patented claims ? 



Let one or two appear every month, to adorn 

 the pages of the Journal and we shall soon 

 see quite an interest in that direction, to give 

 the cheapest, best, and most profitable residence 

 of the bee, and of the greatest utility to the bee- 

 master. 



I would remind friend Gallup, of Iowa, while 

 he is in such an " awful muss " about the bee- 

 hives, to give us a picture of the one lie prefers, 

 with an explanation of all its fixtures. It will 

 be none the less worthy of attention because it 

 it not patented. 



We admire a nice, convenient, profitable resi- 

 dence for our own bees. I "pitch in " for the 

 pictures and the explanations of all the patented 

 hives. Come on — don't be backward. 



J. Davis. 



Charleston, III. 



Bees have all the same common laws, and with 

 common care observe them all. They have 

 one common bond, not to have anything lawful 

 for one which is not lawful for another ; but 

 whatsoever is lawful, is lawful to all. — Pur- 



CHAS. 



The best place for wintering bees is a roomy, 

 dry, dark cellar, having a temperature of about 

 40° F. Few bee-keepers, however, have facili- 

 ties for thus wintering their bees. 



" Whoso keep well sheep and bee'n, 

 Sleep or wake, their thrift comes in." 



[For the American Bee Journal ] 



Discolored Bees, 



Enclosed you will find a vial of alcohol in 

 which there are a few Italian bees, both drones 

 and workers, all taken from one hive. You 

 will notice that two of the workers are lighter 

 colored than the others, and have somewhat 

 the appearance of workers that have just left 

 the cell, though they were old enough to lly, 

 and were taken from the outside of the hive. I 

 have seen perhaps a dozen or more such work- 

 ers in the colony, and have bred a few queens 

 from the mother, in the hope of getting one 

 similar in color, or one whose workers were 

 similarly marked, as a curiosity. In the first I 

 failed, but succeeded in rearing one whose 

 workers were nearly like the one with the three 

 white bands, as seen in the vial. She was acci- 

 dentally lost, before any of her workers had 

 matured, and I raised no queer, from her. 



I would remark that the alcohol has changed 

 the colors somewhat. There is a greater con- 

 trast between the two colors on the same bee, 

 than there was before putting them in the alco- 

 hol ; the dark color is darker, and the light 

 perhaps a shade lighter. If the mother lives I 

 shall try again next season. 



The workers were all taken from the outs' de 

 of the hive, the honey sacs being empty, and 

 the third band does not show as plainly as it 

 would if the honey sacs were filled. I reject 

 all queens as impure whose workers do not all 

 show three yellow bands. The drones are se- 

 lected. I have no queen whose drones all show 

 as fine as those sent. The workers — yellow- 

 banded — were taken at random. 



J. H. Townley. 



Tompkins, Mich. 



E^r*The "lighter colored" workers, above 

 referred to, may be classed with the curious in- 

 stances occasionally observed, showing a dis- 

 position to "sport" in the Italian bees, and per- 

 haps indicating that they are not really so dis- 

 tinct a variety as they are usually thought to be. 

 If the queen whose progeny they are, produce 

 drones also with similar deviations from the or- 

 dinary markings or color, a variety possessing 

 those characteristics permanently might per- 

 haps be originated. The experiment however 

 would require patience and perseverance and 

 involve much difficulty and trouble, for which 

 the result would probably be no compensation, 

 unless it led to a clearer insight into the process 

 or law by which nature effects variations in spe- 

 cies. The other workers, and the drones, are 

 among the finest specimens we have yet seen. 



In an old English paper there is a notice of a 

 swarm of bees that clustered inside of a lady's 

 parasol, as she was promenading the street in a 

 country village. They were hived without in- 

 jury to the lady, or the parasol. 



Humble plains or lorsly vallies are commen- 

 ded as the best place for a bee-garden. — Pur- 

 chas. 



