IMPROVED COTTAGE HIVE. 



69 



which, when filled, hold about 6 lbs. each. There is a 

 hoop at the bottom, another round the top of the lower 

 hive ; to this the wooden crown-board is fastened. These 

 hoops are a great improvement, and are less liable to 

 harbour insects than if straw alone were used. The 

 floor-board, as its name implies, is a wooden board 

 one and a quarter inch thick, with a projection of three 

 or four inches under the entrance to form an alighting 

 place. This entrance is cut out of, or sunk in, the board. 



There are three windows in the lower hive, each 

 closed with a shutter; these are very useful and interesting 

 for inspecting the progress made. Across the centre 

 window is a thermometer, enclosed at the sides by slips 

 of glass. The window shutters being painted green, 

 add very much to its appearance. The upper hive, 

 which is merely a cover for the glasses, is a conical- 



