122 THE APIAEY; OR, 



public position which they occupied, and working vigorously in- the full light 

 of day. The queen, one of the largest and finest-coloured we have met with, 

 was perambulating the combs and receiving the homage of her subjects, stop- 

 ping frequently to deposit an egg in every empty cell. The hive itself was a 

 "Woodbury Unicomb," handsomely got up in mahogany, invented as its 

 name implies, by our valued correspondent. " A Devonshiue Bbb-keepek," 

 the construction of which will be most readily understood by an inspection of 

 the engraving at page 46. Its distinctive features are, the adaptation of the 

 moveable-bar systeoa to unicomb-hives, by which any colony in an apiary of 

 " Woodbury-hives" can be placed in the unicomb-hive in a few minutes, and the 

 use of "outside Venetians," or "sun blinds." as they are called, instead of 

 the usual impervious shutters. By this contrivance light is never excluded, so 

 that when the hive is open for inspection, all its inmates contiaue their avoca- 

 tion with their accustomed regularity, and a quiet and orderly scene is pre- 

 sented to the spectator, instead of the hubbub and confusion which ensues in 

 ordinary unicomb-hives. On the left- hand side of the unicomb hangs a 

 beautifully executed drawing of a Ligurian queen bee magnified, together with 

 the queea worker and drone of Apis Ligustica, of the natural size. Immedi- 

 ately under the drawing is placed a square glass super containing nearly 401bs." 

 of the finest honeycomb. On the right of the unicomb-hive is another super of 

 the same description, containing nearly 301bs. of the purest honey. These 

 supers are, undoubtedly, by far the finest in the Exhibition, and are the first 

 worked in England by Ligurian bees, being from the apiary of " A Devonshire 

 Bee-keepee." In addition to these the most striking objects, are shewn 

 Neighbour's Improved Single Box and Cottage Hives, Taylor's Bar-Hives, 

 Woodbury Erame and Bar-hives, the new Bottle-feeder, and bee apparatus of 

 every description. It will be apparent from the foregoing, that Messrs. Neigh- 

 bour's stall is well worth inspection, although the various novelties it contains 

 appear to have met with but scant appreciation by the Jury, who merely awarded 

 to them that "honourable mention" so lavishly accorded to the far less 

 deserving objects. 



From the "Illustrated News of the World" September 6, 1862. 



One of the most interesting and instructive objects is the honey bee at 

 fuU work in transparent hives. In the International Exhibition, Class 9, 

 Eastern Annexe, Messrs. Neighbotjb and Son, of Holborn and Regent-street, 

 exhibit, amongst a collection of the most approved beehives and apparatus, a 

 glass hive, stocked with a colony of Italian Alp bees ; the hive is so con- 

 structed as to admit of easUy seeing the queen, surrounded by the working bees. 

 Contrary to the long established notion that the bees work only in the dark 

 this hive is completely open to broad daylight. The bees do not manifest the 

 least dislike to the exposure, and they are not discomfited when light is 

 occasionally admitted for inspecting them. It is obvious that a knowledge of 

 this new feature must tend to a more general acquaintance with the habits and 

 hidden mysteries of the bee than has hitherto been the case. The queen may 

 be seen depositing the eggs in the cells ; in this manner she goes on multiplying 

 the species, the working bees surrounding her, and paying the most deferential 

 attention, with their heads always towards her. Not the least interesting part 



