14 
the black queen would cease laying at once. She then usually 
retreats to the bottom of the comb, where she can readily pass 
over to the dark side, through the slot generally found 
between the edge of the comb and the bottom bar of the 
frame. Italians are not readily shaken off their combs, are 
difficult to drive, and, when fully roused by unskilful haudling, 
are more vicious and difficult to subdue than are blacks. 
When the Italian bee is crossed with the black, a inongrel 
or so-called hybrid is produced, which, like most crosses, is an 
excellent worker, very vigorous and active, and resistant to 
disease. They are also very prolific, but are sometimes 
uncertain in temper and difficult to handle. Experienced 
bee-keepers find hybrids excellent for the production of 
extracted honey, but their comb honey is not so white as that 
produced by blacks. 
Manipulation of Bees in Skeps. 
Bee-keepers are a conservative class, and many thousands 
of skeps are still in use. In many cases the knowledge of the 
skeppist as to what is going on inside his skeps is very 
meagre indeed, but the expert should be able to handle bees 
in skeps as readily as those in frame hives. The first step, as 
with the modern hive, is to create an alarm of fire by blowing 
smoke in at the door, and more is required than with a frame 
hive, because the interference is bound to be greater. The 
skep is then lifted bodily froin its board, and turned, mouth 
upward, at a little distance from its stance. By this 
maneuvre the operator is less likely to be stung by returning 
foragers. The weight of the hive gives some indication of 
the amount of stores, and, by pressing the combs a little 
apart, one can readily observe sealed brood, and distinguish 
drone from worker brood. Queen cells are particularly 
noticeable in an upturned skep, and the bee-keeper thus gets 
warning that preparations are being made for swarming. 
One cannot see egys or grubs unless by cutting out a piece of 
comb. 
It is not easy to handle a skep furnished with ekes or 
“tops,” but it can be done with a little more trouble. The 
