§ XXII.] BEE DRESS. 269 



and circumspection. Bees, although the busiest of crea- 

 tures, entertain a great dislike to fussiness in their masters, 

 and become irritable at once if the apiarian allows them 

 to see that he is in a hurry. Hence there is great advan- 

 tage in having the face and hands covered whilst at 

 work amongst the bees ; for when the 

 operator knows he cannot possibly be 

 stung, he can open his hives, take out the 

 combs, gather in his swarms, or take the 

 honey, with all the deliberation of a philo- 

 sopher. Various kinds of bee dresses have 

 been contrived ; one that we keep ready in 

 stock is of a very simple construction. It 

 is made of strong black net, which is 

 manufactured for us specially for this purpose, and in 

 shape is like an inverted bag, large enough to allow 

 of a gentleman's wideawake or a lady's hat being worn 

 underneath. The .projection of the hat or cap causes 

 the dress to stand off from the face, and the meshes of 

 the net, though much too small for a bee to penetrate, 

 are wide enough to allow of clear vision for the operator. 

 An elastic band secures the dress round the waist ; the 

 sleeves also, made of durable black calico, are secured 

 at the wrists by a similar method. The hands of the 

 bee-master may be effectually protected with a pair of 

 india-rubber gloves, which should be put on before the 

 dress is fastened round the wrists. This kind of glove 

 is regularly used by photographers, and allows of greater 



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