430 



THE ANIMALS AND MAN 



it is desired to observe the bees at work within, the wooden 

 sides are swung open; the glass still encloses the busy 

 community, but affords an opportunity to see the actual 

 performance of such 

 interesting duties as wax- 

 making, comb-building, 

 food-storing, egg-laying, 

 nursing, etc. An obser- 

 vation hive may be ob- 

 tained from a dealer in 

 beehives or be made out 

 of an ordinary hive by 

 any carpenter or ingeni- 

 ous boy. It should be 

 set up in the spring. 

 It can be kept in the 

 schoolyard, or even better, 

 in the schoolroom itself. 

 Substitute for a pane of 

 glass in a window a thin 

 wooden pane in which is 

 cut a narrow horizontal 

 opening, the size of the 

 regular hive opening. 

 If the latter is too broad 

 it may be covered over ^^^8 



at the ends. Set the ob- 



„ ,„4.-„ u-,,„ „ <.„ui„ Fig. 218. Nest of bumble-bee, Bom- 



servation hive on a table , , . ■ ^ _r 



bus sp., showing opening at surface 

 or box against the window of the ground and brood-cells in 

 SO that its opening COrre- cavity underneath. (Adapted from 



sponds with that in the ^cCook.) 



window. Or better, place it about six or eight inches from 

 the window and build an enclosed broad shallow tunnel, 

 covered above with glass, connecting the two openings. 

 Over the glass top of the tunnel lay a sheet of dark card- 



