PREFACE. 



N this little story, the author 

 ventures to hope that he may 

 succeed in interesting children 

 — perhaps even some big chil- 

 dren — in the habits of bees, 

 and in inducing them to study 

 for themselves their most 

 wonderful lives. 



He has attempted to describe 

 a few only of the many opera- 

 tions with which all bee-keep- 

 ers of the present day are 

 and has not introduced any 

 mention of the bar-framed hives, which make the 

 manipulation of bees comparatively simple. 



His object has been to awaken interest rather 



perfectly familiar. 



