QUEEN-REARING IN' ENGLAND. 25 



wire-cloth fastened at the ends to a small block of wood, with 

 a n^shaped strip of transparent sheet celluloid (c) covering 

 both. A stout wire shaft is soldered to the wire-cloth, and 

 is bent at the free end to form a cross piece for hanging the 

 cage between two frames. The celluloid is fixed so that it 

 will swing aAvay in order to permit of the easy insertion or 

 removal of the queen-cell, this being gripped by the wire- 

 cloth. The wire-cloth may be adjusted to clasp queen-cells 

 of any size, not only those built in wooden cups, but also 

 irregularly-shaped ones that may be cut out of the combs. 

 The cells hang about four inches from the top of the comb 

 which is the warmest place. The wooden block has a hole 

 bored through it, and this is filled with soft candy for the 

 queen to eat, should she be allowed to hatch. A tin slide 

 covers the hole underneath, and this is drawn to one side 

 when the cage is used for introducing a queen to a colony. 

 The wooden block is well soaked in hot \yax to prevent its 

 absorbing moisture from the candy, and the wire-cloth is 

 coated with varnish to prevent the queens getting poisoned by 

 any salts that may form on the metal. Ten or twelve of 

 these cages can be hung in a row between two combs. They 

 may be placed into or lifted out of the hi\e one by one with- 

 out disturbing one another or the frames. 



The Sladen multiple incubating cage, which is shown in 

 Fig. 20, is especially useful when large numbers of queens are 

 reared. It consists of a skeleton framework of the size of a 

 standard frame fitted inside with two swinging receptacles 

 made of wire-cloth, containing a number of compartments, 

 separated by partitions of thin wood, each of which is just 

 large enough for the reception of a queen-cell in a cup with 

 sufficient space underneath the cell for the queen to hatch. 

 The cells are prevented from dropping down and filling this 

 space bv dents made in the wire-cloth, the partitions being 

 notched to permit the dents to be made deep. In the strip 

 of wood that forms the bases of the compartments are bored 

 little holes to hold soft candy for the queens to feed upon 

 should they be allowed to hatch. This strip is impregnated 

 with paraffin wax to prevent its absorbing moi.sture from the 

 candy, and a strip of celluloid is nailed on its underside. 



The multiple cage is usually kept in one hive throughout 

 the season. The cells are put into it on the fourth day after 



