ITALIAN QUEEN BEE 67 



me head foremost into a small aperture, the 

 opening into the end of a Queen Cage. 

 This consisted of a solid block of light wood, 

 having three circular machine-cut holes 

 bored into its flat surface, for all the world 

 like ships' portholes, close up against each 

 other, a diminutive door leading from each 

 to the other, so that one bee at a time could 

 go through from one compartment to an- 

 other, thus traveling the whole length of the 

 mailing cage. The whole top surface had 

 wire cloth tacked over it. Into one end-sec- 

 tion was bored a tiny air hole, covered over 

 with screen wire cloth, and along one side 

 was a sawed slot for a like purpose, but too 

 narrow for any bee to go through. The 

 compartment at the opposite end was almost 

 filled with candy, made of honey and confec- 

 tioners' sugar, kneaded together until about 

 the consistency of putty. It makes satis- 

 factory food for us, keeps a long time with- 

 out getting hard, does not run, and can 

 neither smear the occupants of the cage, nor 



