§ vm.j HUBERTS HIVE. 131 



111 some cases extraction at the top may be the more 

 convenient, and in others at the end ; and we have 

 therefore in our Philadelphia hive (§ xii.) endeavoured 

 to unite the two advantages by supplying an opening , 

 both at the side and the top. 



To return, however, to the subject of our present sec- 

 tion. During the early period of Ruber's investigations 

 he prosecuted them by means of single-comb hives, which 

 allow of each side of the comb being examined. He 

 found, however, that there was one important defect. 

 The bees could not in these hives cluster together, 

 which is their natural method of withstanding the 

 effects of a reduced temperature. Huber hit upon the 

 ingenious expedient of combining a number of single- 

 comb frames, so as to form one complete hive, which 

 could be opened, in order to expose any particular 

 comb, without disturbing the rest. From the manner 

 of the opening and closing of this hive it has generally 

 been called the " Leaf or Book Hive." The division 

 separating each comb is joined both back and front with 

 "butt hinges," fastened with a movable pin, on with- 

 drawing which, at both sides, each comb and the bees 

 on it may be inspected as easily as if in a single-comb 

 hive. Huber's leaf hive is thus in appearance as if 

 several ordinary "History of England" chess-boards 

 were set up on end together ; but each single portion is 

 distinct, instead of there being any couphng of twos. The 

 floor-board on which the hive stands is larger than the 

 hive when closed, so as to allow of its being opened 



