850 WINTERING BJEES. 



casual observer would not have noticed them ; whereas, 

 had they been on the snow,. at the distance of several 

 rods, every bee would have been conspicuous. Snow 

 is not to be dreaded as much as chilly air. Suppose 

 a hive stands in the sun throughout the winter, and 

 bees are allowed to leave when they choose, and a por- 

 tion are lost on the snow, and that it was possible to 

 number all that were lost by getting chilled, through- 

 out the season, on the bare earth — the proportion (in 

 my opinion) lost on the snow would not be one in 

 twenty. A person that has aot closely observed dur- 

 ing damp or chilly weather, in April, May, or even 

 the summer months, has no adequate conception of 

 the number. Yet, I do not wish to be understood 

 that it is of no consequence what are lost on the snow, 

 by any means. On the contrary, a great many are 

 lost, that might be saved with proper care. But I 

 would like to impress the fact, that frozen earth is not 

 safe without warm air, any more than snow, when 

 crusted, or a little hard. Even when snow is melting, 

 it is solid footing for a bee ; they can and do rise from 

 it, with the same ease as fron;i the earth. Bees tha't 

 perish on snow in these circumstances, would be likely 

 to be lost if there was none. 



STOCKS TO BE PKOTBCTED ON SOME OCCASIONS. 



The worst time for them to leave the hive is imme- 

 diately after a new snow has fallen, because if they 

 light on it then, it does not sustain their weight ;'*and 

 they soon work themselves down out of the rays of 

 the sun, and perish. Should it clear off pleasant, aftei 



