LEAF HIVES. 105 



laying the eggs of workers. This second swarm 

 found plenty of honey and farina in the hive, left 

 by its former tenants. Other particulars reported 

 by Mr. Dunbar are detailed in the Chapters to 

 which they belong. 



These hives are of course only useful to the 

 amateur apiarian, who is in quest of information 

 or amusement. 



Huber carried the principle of this hive still 

 further: he joined several thin boxes together 

 with hinges : these boxes or wooden frames were 

 without glasses, and the hinges were so contrived 

 as to admit of easy removal. Every box or leaf 

 (as Huber called each separate frame), except the 

 two exterior, was reduced in thickness to an inch 

 and quarter, which, as there was a free communi- 

 cation between all the leaves, afforded the same 

 liberty for the operations of the bees as the single 

 box that was an inch and half wide. This con- 

 trivance gave him the power of opening the leaves 

 separately, and inspecting the proceedings of the 

 bees at all times : they soon became accustomed 

 to this treatment, and M. Huber was thus able to 

 examine any one of the divisions, without exciting 

 the anger of the bees. After they had properly 

 secured the pieces of comb which he had attached 

 to the roofs of the boxes, they were subjected to 

 a daily inspection by this indefatigable naturalist. 

 F 5 



