68 



FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



distant from the fii'st pair, and the remaining combs in the hive 

 on the stand are arranged in pairs the same way. Wherever the 

 queen is, it will not be long before she will be in Ihe middle of 

 whatever pair of combs she is on. Going on with work at an- 

 other hive, I return after a little, and look again for the queen. 

 Lifting out the comb nearest me, I look first on the side of its 



Fi(j. 20 — Mttencli Hive-tool. 



mate in the hive, and if I do not see the queen there, I quickly 

 look on the opposite side of the comb in my hand. I am pretty 

 sure to find her in the middle of one of the pairs. 



Tf the pairs are sufliciently separated from each other (I 

 don't mean the two combs of each pair separated, for the two 

 combs in each pair should be as close together as possible, but 

 that one pair should be far enough from another pair so that 



