WOODEN BOX HIVES. 83 
adhere to too smooth a surface. A window may be 
placed at the back, and another at one side, about four 
inches high and six wide. The glass should be thick, 
and secured by putty; but it must not fit too tightly, 
or it is apt to erack from the swelling of the wood. 
There are various ways of covering the windows, but 
the best is, perhaps, by a sliding shutter of zine. 
Round the window there must be a projecting mould- 
ing mitred at the corners. On one side the piece of 
moulding is movable, and to the back of this is 
screwed a plate of sheet zinc. This passes into a rab- 
bet to receive it, cut, on the remaining three sides, at 
the back of the lower edge of the moulding. Where 
uniformity of appearance is studied, blank windows 
may be made opposite to the real ones.* No 
entrance-way should be cut in the box, as this more 
properly belongs to the floor-board. 
A reference to the engraving will show a box thus 
made, with its sliding shutter. It ought to be painted 
a sufficient time before use, or the smell is offensive to 
the bees; indeed, I have known a swarm forsake a 
box in consequence.f I may observe, however, that 
some persons prefer boxes, when in a house, to be 
* As regards windows, they are always useful to inspect a hive, but 
should, as a rule, be kept darkened. At the same time there is no 
doubt that bees will work exposed to the light when the option of dark- 
ness is not allowed them. A friend put a swarm into a unicomb hive— 
made without shutters on each side, and exposed to the full glare of 
light at a window—which I frequently inspected. The bees filled the 
hive in a short time, paying apparently no attention to the eyes often 
observing their operations. It is to be remarked, however, that 
wheter bees are in light or darkness, the one or the other mst be con- 
tinwous, as alternations disturb and alarm them. We shall hereafter 
give designs for experimental observatory hives. 
+ Mr. Shirley Hibberd states that he once lost a swarm from the 
same cause, and he well recommends the painting of empty boxes a 
year in advance. 
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