200 FITTINGS AND APPARATUS. [Ch. IV. 



ducing the queen than into the other, as she has to be 

 taken hold of with the thumb and finger and passed 

 within the narroiv opening ; and though some of the 

 cages are made with an entry-valve at the top, the risk 

 of injuring the queen remains, in our opinion, greater 

 than with the domed cage. The mode of procedure 

 with each of these will be found described under 

 " Introducing New Queens " (Chap. V. § viii.). 



§ XVII. QUEEN AND DRONE PREVENTER. 

 Much disappointment is often felt, when removing 

 a super that appears well filled with honey, at finding 

 that brood, and not honey, is in many of 

 the cells. In such a case the super should 

 be replaced on the hive until such time as 

 the brood has hatched out. The comb 

 will be found to be discoloured, but there is no help for 

 that. The fact of there being even a few cells so occu- 

 pied is a great deterioration. This little contrivance, 

 however, excludes both the queen and the drones, the 

 wires or strips of zinc being fixed too close together to 

 admit of their passage, though wide enough for the 

 worker bees. It is adapted for any hole that it will 

 cover, but more especially for the openings in the tops 

 of straw hives communicating with the supers. Some of 

 our better-class hives are fitted with slides pierced in 

 like manner, or else with sheets of perforated zinc to 

 ensure the same end. 



