150 A Modern Bee-Fann 



portion shows the opening at the side, with a double casing on 

 all other sides, with about i-inch between the inner and outer 

 walls. The whole of this compartment is enclosed by wood 

 with a closely-fitting dpor which closes the said open side. 

 The inside is fitted with skeleton framework wherein slide 

 several drawers, each covered on the underside with woven 

 wire. The same arrangement will also take whole frames of 

 comb, but I prefer to have the cells built that they may be cut 

 out singly and so placed in the trays. A thermometer lies on 

 ' the centre division of one of the drawers ; while another is 

 fixed in a vertical position under glass in the centre of the 

 door ; this glass being again covered by a close fitting shutter 

 to avoid extremes; thus the internal temperature can be noted 

 at a glance without exposing the cells. With my arrange- 

 ment, however, the heat is always given from above, and even 

 after examination of the interior there is not the same loss of 

 heat as with the nurseries hitherto used where the whole top 

 is opened, as such have no large body of heat just where most 

 needed for the immediate restoration of the correct temperature. 



Though shown at one end, the hollow heating cylinder H C 

 is at the centre of the back. Under this is placed the lamp,' 

 which has a wick of such a size than it cannot very well have 

 a flame which will overheat the chamber ; the latter being 

 about 18 inches by 12 inches by 9 inches. The boiler contains, 

 between the walls about six gallons of water, so that when the 

 right temperature is once secured it does not vary one degree 

 in twelve hours. The whole stands upon legs with a small 

 table for the lamp to rest upon ; this is trimmed once in 

 twenty-four hours, regularly every evening, so that there is no 

 chknce for the flame to drop during the night, when no at- 

 tention is needed. Any cells expected to hatch may have the 

 point passed into the tubular perforated cages, as used for 

 inserting virgin queens. Fig. 48, thus obviating the constant 

 attention otherwise necessary. 



A sponge or cloth saturated with water, or a shallow tray 

 holding a small quantity, should be placed in the chamber to 



