WINTERING BEES. 357 



noonday sun, and the thermometer had daily ranged at trom 76 

 to 78 for some time previous, yet, on removing the outer mantle, 

 I found the earth-covering below it still frozen, so that it had to 

 be removed with a hoe a satisfactory proof that the interior of 

 the clamp could not have been affected by external variations of 

 temperature. I now became exceedingly anxious to see whether 

 rain or snow-water had penetrated to the straw covering, as I 

 apprehended might be the case, having had no previous expe- 

 rience in such matters. To my surprise and gratification, how- 

 ever, I found it thoroughly dry showing conclusively that the 

 earth-covering had sufficed effectually to shed off the rain and 

 snow- water, and that the ample and efficient internal ventilation 

 had prevented the formation of moisture and mould. On remov- 

 ing the straw, I perceived no symptom of dampness on the boards ; 

 and when, finally, these latter were taken away, the hives pre- 

 sented themselves as clean and dry as when put there in the Fall. 

 " Anxious now to ascertain the condition of their inmates, I 

 tapped against the hives, but. to my dismay, heard no response. 

 I seized a stick, and, tapping harder and harder, finally proceeded 

 to blows ; still all remained mute within. An old man from the 

 neighboring village, who chanced to be present, seemed vastly 

 gratified at my chagrin and consternation, as he and his neigh- 

 bors had kept bees for many years, but had no fancy for such 

 novel contrivances and experiments as mine. I must admit that 

 I was, for the moment, thoroughly disconcerted on finding, as I 

 then supposed, all my anticipations and confident calculations 

 thus suddenly and effectually nullified. But, resolved to know 

 the worst, I removed the hives to the Apiary, where the sun 

 shone bright and warm ; and scarcely were the entrances opened, 

 when the bees began to pour forth in masses, humming joyously, 

 to my irrepressible delight, and to the utter discomfiture of the 

 old villager. With special gratification did I notice that the bees 

 came forth from their long imprisonment with bodies as attenuate 

 and slender as they had in the preceding Autumn, whilst those 

 which had been wintered in the dark chamber soiled their hives 

 and all surrounding objects, by profuse discharges of faecal matter. 

 This led me to conjecture that these colonies had consumed com- 



