THE APIARY. 47 



CHAPTER II. 



THE APIARY. 



THE first object of consideration, in the esta- 

 blishment of an apiary, is situation. 



The aspect has, in general, been regarded as of 

 prime importance, but I think there are other 

 points of still greater importance. 



An apiary would not be well situated near a 

 great river, nor in the neighbourhood of the 

 sea, as windy weather might whirl the bees into 

 the water and destroy them. 



It was the opinion of the ancients that bees, in 

 windy weather, carried weights, to prevent them 

 from being whiffled about, in their progress 

 through the air : Virgil has observed that 



66 They with light pebbles, like a balanc'd boat, 

 Pois'd, through the air on even pinions float." 



SOTHEBY'S GEORGICS. 



This assertion, which was probably borrowed 

 by the poet from his predecessor Aristotle, and 

 which has since been repeated by Pliny, is now 

 ascertained to be erroneous. The error has been 

 noticed by both Swammerdamand Reaumur, and 

 ascribed by them to preceding observers having 

 mistaken the mason bee for a hive bee. The for- 

 mer builds its nest against a wall, with a composi- 



