154 



JOUKNAIi OP HOBTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Febrnary 23, 1871. 



Burrell, canght a yonng one, and tied its legs with a pocket- 

 liandkerchief, and hid the bird in a hole until he had taken 

 Divine service, but afterwards found neither bird nor hand- 

 kerchief. The late Mr. William Lanfear, of Christiau-JIalford, 

 had also seen more than one on the Plain, and one that was 

 captured and kept for a few days by a cottager in a pigstje. 



Indeed, it is a mistake to think that no Bastards have been 

 eeeti or killed of late years. One was shot in Cornwall in 

 1S43, and one near Stonehenge in 1849. Eecently Bastards 

 liaTe been seen, I believe, in Yorkshire, as well as in 

 Wilts. It seems strange that they always are found in 

 those counties in which they once were common. Then, it 

 ii odd that now all the country is divided into faim5, and on 

 farms labourers are constantly working, yet, save now and 

 then. Bustards, birds as big as Turkeys, are not seen. How 

 to explain this I know not, and that Bustards could fiy over 

 the sea is out of the question, and if they could they would 

 be seen in Kent or Susses. Must it not come to this — that 

 a few birds, though under great disadvantages, still exist, 

 and breed, and bring up a very few young ones ? — Wilt- 



SEIEE BecIOE. 



UNICOMB HIVE. 



Is reply to "An Amateur Bee-keepek,'' who requests 

 snme information respecting the construction of a unicomb 

 hive, I think I may be able to render him some assistance by 

 giving a rough description of one contrived by myself two 

 years ago, and which, in practical use, answers remarkably well. 



The first object which should be aimed at in one of these in- 

 tereyting appendages to an apiary, should be the greatest pos- 

 sible facility for peopling it either with a swarm, or with the 

 contents of an established stock. The second should be, that 

 when not farther required for observatory purposes, or in order 

 to save the colony through the winter, the combs and bees may 

 very readily be transferred into quarters more congenial to their 

 natural instincts. To carry out this principle, I decided on 

 adapting the interior of the hive for taking the moveable bars 

 and combs from my frame hives. Great care was requisite to 

 iasnre that the various measurements were made correct, and 

 that, any bar from any hivG in my apiary should be capable of 

 beicg flipped into or out of the hive in a moment. 



After some coueideration, I decided on having a long shallow 

 hivB instead of a deep one, and planned it to take three fuU- 

 sized combs in length, by two in depth. 



The bars of the frames used by me are nearly 14 inches in 

 length ; the depth of the combs when fully worked in the 

 frames is about 8i inches. The length of the hive measured 

 from outside to outside, is 3 feet 10 inches, and the depth nearly 

 1 foot 10 inches. The frame is constructed of 2-iueh plank 

 throughout, rabbeted so as to form a series of recesses for the 

 doors and glass sides, and the comb-bars to fit in. 



When the glass sides are in sitti, the distance between the 

 two glasses must be exactly If of an inch, or not exceeding 

 Ij of an inch. For these sides light wooden frames without 

 divisions are made, into which are fitted entire sheets of good, 

 thick, clear glass, held in without putty by narrow slips of 

 wood. These glass sides have no hinges attached to them, but 

 are simply slipped into place, and secured at ths top by small 

 but.tnas, similar to those used for the inner part of writing 

 desks, and at the bottom by two small sliding brass bolts, 

 shooting down into the floor-board. A couple of small picture 

 rings attached to the bottom rail of each frame will facilitate 

 their handling. 



The top, sides, and bottom of the outer hive are all morticed 

 together, the bottom being 2 inches wider all ronad than the 

 top and sides. 



Tne outer wooden shutters are made in halves to meet in the 

 csntre. They are framed and panelled ; the panels being of 

 the same thickness as tho frames — viz., J inch when finished. 

 They are hung on shitting butt hinges, so as to be easily 

 slipped nfi or on, are fitted with sliding bolts, and secured by 

 locks. The entrances, 4 or 5 inches long, by s; inch high, are 

 cut in the thickness of the floor-board on either side, sloping 

 up and meeting in the centre of the interior, where they are 

 opened out. An alighting-board is also attached to each side. 

 Blocks of wood are fitted to slip into either of the entrances 

 ■when (he hive is turned round for observation. 



The hiva revolves, having an iron pin attached to the bottom, 

 fitting into a socket let into the top of an octagonal pedestal. 

 Turning to the section of the interior, yi;;. 1, we find that the 

 upper bars do not touch the top, but have a space of § of an 



inch between them and it. This serves two purposes — first, it 

 brings the upper parts of the combs down nearly level with the 

 highest portion of the glass ; second, it allows free passage to 

 the bees over the combs, an advantage for work, and useful 

 when feeding. An aperture 2 inches long by } inch wide, is 

 cut through the top for this purpose, and for ventilation. Four 

 side apertures are also cut, being closed with perforated zinc 



\ 'T 



Fig. 2.— 2| inches, one half the actual size. 



a, Proiection for combs, and rests I 



for burs, 7-8ths inch. 

 6. Rabbet, ^ inch. I 



Ditto for glass side to fit I 



e. Rabbet for wooden shutters to 



rest against. 



f. Recess for wooden shutters, 



i inch wide. 



g. Side of frame, | inch. 



ainst, ? inch. 

 d. Recess for glass side, I inch, 



when the bees are confined for exhibition at a flower show or 

 other occasion. When not so required, blocks of wood are 

 made to fit them. Two uprights are necessary to serve as 

 supports for the comb-bars. These are 5 inch wide, by a 

 general thickness of J inch, but they are made thicker just 

 under the ends of the bars so as to form rests. 



The distance between the bars when in place is exactly 

 8 inches. This is narrower than the interior space of the 

 frames, the object being, that when combs are shifted from 

 the frames into the unicomb hive, the bottoms of the upper 

 row of combs shall reach to the tops of the second row of bars, 

 for the double purpose of security and appearance; besides 

 which, if there are spaces between the combs in the centre of 

 the hive, the queen will constantly be slipping through out o£ 

 sight. The space below the middle bars is S.i inches. An or- 

 namental roof made sufficiently roomy to allow of a feeder 

 being used fits on the top of the hive. 



I have hitherto described the hive as I have constructed it, 

 but it is not necessary that the shape or dimensions I have 

 given should be adhered to. If preferred, the hive may be made 

 deeper and shorter — that is, to carry three rows of bars ic 

 height, by two in length. Or if thought to be too large for the 

 district, or the requirements of the bee-keeper, a hive intended 

 to carry four bars only may be constructed. 



If "An Ajiatedk Bee icf.epee " uses the Woodbury hive, I 

 should recommend him to alter the measurements I have given, 

 so as to adapt his hive to the use of the Woodbury bars. If he 

 does not work bar or frame hives, he can make his unicomb 

 hive to carry bars of any length he pleases. In the latter 

 case he will require a box hive to be made, holding the same 

 bars, for the purpose which will be described. 



We will suppose that the Woodbury bar-and- frame hive is in 

 use in his apiary, the bars, of course, being loose in the frames. 

 One of these hives being properly prepared and furnished with 

 nice guide combs, a swarm is shaken into it in the usual way, 

 and allowed to work for two or three days. The hive is then 

 opened, and the combs inspected, any irregularities being 

 remedied. It is a good plan to alter the position of the combs 

 in order to compel straighter work. The bees are allowed to 

 remain in this stock hive for a few days longer, and then the 

 unicomb hive being brought to the same stand or locality, the 

 outer doors and the glass frame of one side are removed. The 

 stock is placed close by the side of the unicomb, the bars are 

 carefally lifted out without shaking off the bees, and slipped 



