FIFTY TEARS AMONG THE BEES 67 



keep watch of the side next me. Then when the frame is lifted 

 out of the hive, before looking at the opposite side, I glance 

 at the nearest side of the next frame in the hive ; for it requires 

 scarcely any time to do this, and if she happens to be in sight it 

 will be a saving of time to lift out immediately the frame she 

 is on. Not seeing her on the frame in the hive, I look over both 

 sides of the frame in my hand, and continue thus through all 

 the frames. Although it was not worth, while to look for her 

 on any comb before the brood-nest was reached, it is worth 

 while to look for her on the comb or combs remaining after 

 passing over those that contain brood, for in trying to get away 

 from the light she will go to the outside combs. 



This trying to get away from the light on the part of the 

 queen, by going from one comb to the other, makes me go. over 

 the combs as rapidly as possible without looking too closely, for 

 if I do not see her with a slight looking, the chances are that she 

 is on another comb, and I count it better to run the chance of 

 going over the combs again, rather than to go too slowly. For 

 if one goes over the combs slowly enough, it is a pretty safe 

 thing to say that the queen will be driven clear to the other side 

 of the hive. 



My assistant, however, who is an expert at finding queens, 

 holds a different theory, and as a consequence her practice is 

 different. She thinks it better to go more slowly and ma,ke 

 sure of finding the queen the first time going over. She takes 

 more time to go over the combs the first time, but she doesn't 

 often have to go over the combs a second time; so perhaps 

 one way is as good as the other. 



If the queen is not found the second time going over, she 

 may be found the third time, but it is quite possible that she is 

 hid in such a way that it may be impossible to find her with 

 long searching. So it is economy to close the hive, and try again 

 another day, or at least to wait half an hour. 



AIDS TO FINDING QUEEN. 



If, for some special reason, it is very important to find the 

 queen without any postponement, sometunes the combs are put 

 in pairs. Two of the combs are put in an empty hive, the two 

 being close together; then another pair is put an inch or more 



