HUBER'S HIVE. 119 



accurate observations on the habits of the bee than have 

 been contributed by all other observers since the time of 

 Aristotle. 



During the early period of Huber's investigations, he 

 prosecuted them by means of single-comb hives, which 

 allow of each side of the comb being examined. He 

 found, however, that there was one important defect. 

 The bees could not in these hives cluster together, which 

 is their natural method of withstanding the effects of a 

 reduced temperature. Huber hit upon the ingenious ex- 

 pedient of combining a number of single-comb frames, 

 so as to form one complete hive, which could be opened, 

 in order to expose any particular comb, without dis- 

 turbing the rest. From the manner of the opening and 

 closing of this hive, it hcis generally been called the 

 "Leaf or Book Hive." The division separating each 

 comb is joined both back and front with "butt hinges," 

 fastened with a movable pin, on withdfawing which, at 

 either side, each comb and the bees on it may be in- 

 spected as easily as if in a single-comb hive. Huber's 

 leaf hive is thus in appearance, as. if several ordinary 

 "History of England" backgammon chess-boards were 

 set up on end together. The floor-board on which the 

 hive stands is larger than the hive when closed, so as to 

 allow of its being opened freely at any particular- 

 "volume." An entrance-way for the bees is hollowed- 

 out of the floor-board as in other hives. There is a. 



