174( TAKING HONEY. 



of their stores. This is generally done in Sep- 

 tember, by setting the hive, late in an evening, 

 over lighted brimstone matches, placed in a hole 

 dug in the earth ; the soil being quickly drawn 

 round the hive, as well to prevent the escape of any 

 of the bees, as to confine the sulphurous gas. In 

 about a quarter of an hour, if the hive receive a 

 few smart strokes on its sides, the bees will be 

 found to have dropped insensible into the hole, 

 where they are immediately buried ; otherwise 

 they would revive, such of them at least as were 

 not singed or otherwise injured by the fire. The 

 heaviest and lightest hives are usually selected 

 for the purpose, the former as yielding most 

 profit, the latter as being unlikely to survive the 

 winter. 



If, after a hive of bees has been suffocated, the 

 apiarian wish to search for the queen, the best 

 mode of doing so is to lay the whole of the bees 

 on white paper, or in water on a white shallow 

 dish, and examine them singly ; her colour upon 

 the back is not so remarkably different from that 

 of the workers as to be very striking ; but on look- 

 ing at the under part of her, she will be imme- 

 diately recognised. 



I adverted to this latter mode of robbing bees 

 of their treasure in Chap. XIV. and there quoted 

 the lamentation of Thomson at their fate. For 



