204 THE HONE Y-BEE. 



has devised, instead of the muslin cover, a piece of 

 vulcanite pierced with holes in a particular pattern, 

 and rotating round a screw in such a way that one, 

 two, three, or any required number of holes may be 

 open at the same time. He also uses, and recom- 

 mends, a small shovel, in which the bottle of syrup 

 is first inverted. Then, when placed just over the 

 vulcanite plate, the shovel is quickly withdrawn 

 without the loss of any of the liquid. 



This matter of carefully controlling the quantity 

 of food allowed, is very important in the spring, when 

 it is desired not only to save impoverished stocks 

 from dying of hunger, but to "stimulate well-doing 

 stocks to early breeding. For, if too abundant 

 supplies of syrup are given, the bees, in their deter- 

 mination not to miss any opportunity of storing 

 at a time when there is no honey to be got out of 

 doors, will fill the middle cells which are nearest the 

 bottle, instead of leaving them for the queen to 

 deposit eggs in, as she would naturally do, to secure 

 them the full warmth of the cluster of her subjects. 



Another method of supplying food is by means 

 of a tin bottle or can. Mr. Neighbour describes the 

 one invented by him for continuous supply, as " six 

 inches wide by six high, with five small holes 

 at the bottom, and closed by a sliding valve and a 

 screw-top. The can is filled from the top, with the 

 valve closed, and when the screw-top is made firm, 

 this valve is drawn back by moving the pin in front. 

 The can is placed over the feeding-hole at the top of 

 the stock hive, and the bees have access to it by small 

 holes. The can is on the principle of a fountain ; 

 the screw-top rendering it air-tight, the liquid only 



