88 THE HIVE AND HONEY-BEE. 



CHAPTER VII. 



VENTILATION OF THE BEE-HIVB. 



If a populous stock is examined on a warm day, a num- 

 ber of bees may be seen standing upon tbe alighting- 

 board, with.tbeir heads turned towards the entrance of 

 the hive, their abdomens shghtly elevated, and their wings 

 in such rapid motion, that they are almost as indistinct as 

 the spokes of a wheel, hi s^vift rotation on its axis. A 

 brisk current of air may be felt proceeding from the hive ; 

 and if a small piece of down be suspended at its entrance, 

 by a thread, it will be blown out from one part and 

 drawn in at another. Why are these bees so deeply ab- 

 sorbed in their fanning occupation, that they pay no atten- 

 tion to the busy numbers constantly crowding in and out 

 of the hive ? and what is the meaning of this double cur- 

 rent of air ? To Huber, we owe the satisfactory explanar 

 tion of these curious phenomena. The bees thus singu- 

 larly plying their rapid wings, are ventilating the hive ; 

 and this double current is caused by pure air rushing in, 

 to supply the j^lace of the foul au- which is forced out. 

 By a series of beautiful experiments, Huber ascerfeiined 

 that the an- of a crowded hive is almost as pui-e as the sur- 

 rounding atmosjahere. Now, as the entrance to such a 

 hive is often very small, the ajr -ivithin cannot be renewed, 

 without resort to artificial means. If a lamp is put into a 

 close vessel, ^vith only one small orifice, it will soon ex- 

 haust the oxygen, and cease to burn. If another small 

 orifice is made, the same result will foUow; but if a 

 cmTent of air is by some device drawn out from one open- 



