BOOK IX. XV. 4-6 



a time, but, if they are already full of liquid and 

 sealed up with wax, just as if they had lids over 

 them, the harvest of honey may be gathered in. 



The morning should generally be chosen for the 

 removal of the honey ; for it is not advisable that the 

 bees should be provoked when they are already 

 exasperated by the midday heat. Two iron instru- 

 ments are required for this operation, measuring a 

 foot and a half or a little more, one of which should 

 be an oblong knife with a broad edge on both sides 

 and having a curved scraper at one extremity, and 

 the other flat in front and very sharp, so that with 

 the latter the honey-combs may be cut out better, 

 and that with the former they be scraped off and 

 any filth which has fallen upon them may be cleaned 

 away. When the hive has been opened from the 5 

 back, where there is no porch, we shall apply smoke 

 made from galbanum <* or from dried dung ; moreover, 

 these ingredients are mixed with live coals and put 

 into an earthenware vessel. This vessel has handles 

 and is shaped like a narrow pot in such a way that 

 one end of it is shai-per through which the smoke may 

 issue through a small aperture, while the other end 

 is broader and has a rather wider mouth, so that the 

 coals can be blown upon through it. When a pot of 6 

 this kind is applied to a hive, the smoke is conveyed 

 to the bees by the movement set up by the breath. 

 The bees, unable to endure the smell of burning, 

 immediately move to the front part of their abode 

 and sometimes outside the porch. When there is 

 an opportunity of inspecting the hives more freely, 

 usually, if there are two swarms, two kinds of 



" See note on Chapter 13. § 7. 



497 



