on the Honey Bee. 193 



refer to the Table to show tlie progress during the year, and add 

 a few more extracts : — 



" 1S54. May 14. Honey sealed over. 



„ 24. A few drones sealed over. 

 June 8. First drone seen. 

 ,, 18. Numbers increased so much as to require 

 extra space, and therefore put on glasses. 

 ,, 25, Working in 5 glasses, and the honey depo- 

 sited in the glasses in the day nearly all 

 carried down to brood in the night. 

 July 9. Observed a queen's cell, which I destroyed 

 to prevent swarming if possible. 

 ,, 27. Drones killed. 

 Nov. 1 3. Began feeding. 

 „ 25. Hard frost with much sun — got out 205 

 dead bees. 

 Dec. 3. Removed 129 dead. 

 „ 10. Removed 74 apparently dead, but only 38 

 really so, the remainder reviving on being 

 warmed before a fire. 

 „ 31. To this time no dead removed, probably 

 about a score lying at the bottom, but I 

 would not disturb the hive by removing 

 them." 

 The proceedings of the hive during the summer of 1854 do not 

 call for any especial remark, except that the drones wei'e this year 

 allowed by the workers to come to perfection, whilst during the 

 preceding year (1853) they had all been killed, either in the grub 

 or pupse state ; also that one queen's cell was begun, which was 

 likewise not the case the former year : this cell was destroyed by 

 me as soon as observed, my object being to keep the same queen 

 under observation as long as possible. The situation of the hive 

 in the centre of a town rendering the chance of taking a swarm 

 from the hive extremely doubtful, my only hope of keeping the 

 original queen under observation is to prevent swarming — hitherto 

 I have succeeded. 



Thus closes the third season of the observatory hive, embracing 

 a period of two years and a half, during which all the labours of 

 the bee have been incessantly watched ; and although the trouble 

 and anxiety have been great, still my efforts have been amply re- 

 warded by the positive manner in which I can speak as to certain 

 facts, either previously unknown to Apiarians, or respecting which 

 considerable doubt existed. 



VOL. HI. N. S. PART V. — JULY, 1855. O 



