THE HONEY-BEE. 233 



tively warm atmosphere of the centre of the hive 

 where they are congregated in dense clusters, and to 

 expose themselves to the colder temperature below 

 which chills, and ultimately destroys them. At the 

 same time, we must not be understood as recom- 

 mending the shutting them up altogether, so that they 

 cannot take the advantage of an occasional interval 

 of sunshine. Leave the narrow apertures free, bbth 

 in order to admit the fresh air, and to afford the bees 

 an opportunity of coming abroad when they can do 

 so in safety. Absolute confinement is extremely pre- 

 judicial to them. The practice which prevails in 

 some places of removing the hives into the dwelling- 

 house, by way of preserving them from the cold, is 

 by no means to be recommended; and, in fact, is 

 often followed by fatal effects. The increased tem- 

 perature of the place to which they have been re- 

 moved, keeps them in such a state of animation and 

 excitement, that they continue to eat during the whole 

 period of their confinement, and not being at liberty to 

 go abroad and evacuate, their bodies become swollen 

 and diseased by the retention of their faeces, for 

 they are most unwilling to soil the interior of then 

 dwelling, and great numbers of them are thus 

 cut off 5 and when in spring the hive is brought into 

 the open air, the few inhabitants that remain are too 

 feeble to bear the sudden change of temperature, and 

 gradually dwindle away, or are plundered and de- 

 stroyed by the more vigorous and healthy. 



While snow is on the ground, a gleam of sunshine 

 will cast such a glare of light into the interior of the 



