HIVES. 



79 



Fig 



Neighbour's Improved Cottage Hive.— This has 

 been a popular hive f6r many- 

 years, and is pretty and interest- 

 ing to those who are satisfied 

 with an imperfect view of their 

 industrious labourers. It con- 

 sists of a circular straw lower 

 compartment, or main body of 

 the hive, having three windows 

 with outside shutters. A ther- 

 mometer is fixed across the 

 centre window, so that the Bees 

 cannot work between it and the 

 glass, and thus intercept the 

 view of the graduated scale. 

 The stock hive, encircled with a hoop, rests on a stout 

 floor-board, fashioned with a projecting landing-place for 

 the Bees. The top is also of wood, having three or more 

 circular openings of about 3 inches in diameter, to 

 receive as many bell-glasses, having fixed on their tops 

 internally a tube of perforated zinc for ventilation, to 

 which guide-combs may be fastened, and which also 

 forms a convenient support for the Bees when com- 

 mencing their labours ; over all is fitted a cover of 

 straw (also hoop-bound), closely fitting the top of the 

 stock hive, and permitting removal with great facility to 

 allow inspection of operations ; this straw cover is sur- 

 mounted by a ventilator forming a neat finish. The 

 price of this, 35J., is, however, a bar to its general use, 

 more especially as, unlike most hives of an equal cost, 

 the combs are immoveable. 



Ekes and Nadirs. — An eke is an additional space 

 added on to a hive below the original. They are princi- 

 pally used with straw skeps, when the Bees are pressed 



