1891 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



407 



hive, is not easily removed after tlie bees have 

 propolized things down solid. A division-board 

 that is close-titting should have a yielding edge 

 liUe the chaff division-board illustrated in our 

 Ali C of Bee Culture: or when a plain board, it 

 should have a rubber edge, as described by Mr. 

 Hoffman. 



DIAGRAM OF HOFFMAN S HIVE. 



In order that the reader may also uudestand 

 in regard to Mr. Hoffman's entrances. I here re- 

 produce an outline diawing. showing the hive- 

 enti'ance. and the nuuincr of closing the same 

 with a wooden button. One end of the button 

 is left solid, and the other has a hole (covered 

 with wire clotii) the size of the entrance. When 

 Mr. Hoffman is ready to move his bees he drives 

 a little smoke in near the entrance; and after a 

 suljficient time has elapsed for tlyiiig bees to re- 

 turn, he goes ai'ound and revolves the wooden 

 buttons so the wire cloth covers the entrance. 

 You will remember that he does not have to fix 

 up his frames. By simply revolving the button 

 he is ready to load the hives on the wagon. He 

 assured Mr. Elwood and me that these buttons 

 gave sufficient V(uitilation. Mr. Hoffman's 

 hive has a fast bottom, and the cover telescopes 

 over the top. and rests on cleats nailed on 

 around the hive, just far enough from the top 

 <^dge to leave a bee-space above the frames. It 

 is not shown cori'ectly in the diagram, but you 

 will get the idea. 



Mr. Hoffman, above, has not explained the 

 use of the upper entrance; but I will state that, 

 on the I'ear of the hive sent us, there is another 

 entrance with a button, as Mi'. IL explains. 

 The plan of forming nuclei by the use of divi- 

 sion-boards is a good oni', and is similar to one 

 practiced by neighbor H. on the Dovetailed 

 hive. By a "slight modification of the bottom- 

 board the same result may be attained. Mr. 

 Harrington says he is pleased with that method 

 of raising queens, and he raises for us a great 

 juany dui-ing the season.! E. R. R. 



THE PALM-'WEEVIL. 



PROF. COOK TEI.T.S t'.S ABOUT THK.M. 



^Ir. C. G. Ferris sends me this, one of our 

 largest American snout beetles, or weevils, 

 which he says he took from a comb in a hive in 

 his apiary in Florida. He further states that 

 it was sucking honey with its elephant-like 

 trunk. Mr. F. concludes with the request that 

 I tell all about this insect in Gleanings. 



This is really a very interesting occurrence. 

 I have never before heard of this or any other 

 weevil, or even beetle, that had an appetite for 

 honey, which upon occasion it sought to grati- 

 fy. This huge weevil is common in the Gulf 

 .States, and I should be glad to learn svhether 

 any other of our Southern bee-keepers have no- 

 ticed this peculiar habit. The form of this 

 interesting weevil, and the peculiar coloration. 



are well shown in the figure. The snout, thorax, 

 and an irregular line on each wing-cover, are 

 dark red. while the base of the head, a narrow 

 border and two spots on the thoi-ax. and the 

 main portion of the wing-covers, are black. 

 The wing-covers are triuicate and abbreviated 

 behind. The exposed portion of the abdomen, 

 just behind the wing-covers, is red, while the 

 til) is black. Beneath, the red and black are 

 about equal in extent, and the black is dusted 

 with a whitish bloom. The antennie are el- 

 bowed, and project from the snout near its base. 

 The beetle is 1^4 inches long, from the tip of its 

 abdomen to the tip of its snout. 



The grubs of these weevils are footless, and 

 work in the palms. The long snout, or pro- 

 boscis, of weevils, and the footless condition of 

 the grubs, are important characteristics of 

 members of this family. The plum-curculio, 

 wheat-weevil, and acorn-weevils, are other ex- 

 amples of this large and interesting family of 

 insects. Several of this family are borers, and 

 are no slight pests. 



This species — the palm-weevil — bores in 

 palms. It is known in science as Rhyncffphorus 

 cnioitatiifi. Linn. I find it varies greatly. 

 Some in our collection are wholly black, whiie 

 nearly all have wing-covers that have very 

 little or fio red. This one shows the rich ma- 

 hogany red in abundance, and is really veiy 

 handsome. I am specially pl(>ased to secui'e 



THE PALM-WEEVIL. 



this specimen, not only from its beauty, its 

 wide variation from the others in our collection, 

 but most of all from its peculiar habit of ban- 

 queting on the delicious nectar of the hive. I 

 shall be very glad to hea- whether any one else 

 has noted this habit, and shall be very much 

 pleased to receive other specimens. I do not 

 think the habit is sufficiently pronounced to 

 make it especially mischievous. The insect is 

 very hard, and I can readily believe it would be 

 little disturbed, even in a bee-hive or hornet's- 

 nest. Indeed. I found it quite difficult to pass a 

 large insect-pin through Its hard crust. 

 Agricultural College. Mich. A. .1. Cook. 



