VENTILATION. 125 



as the spokes of a wheel, in swift 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 by a thread, it 

 will be blown out from one part of the entrance, and drawn 

 in at another. What are these bees expecting to accomplish, 

 that they appear so deeply absorbed in their fanning occu- 

 pation, while busy numbers are constantly crowding in and 

 out of the hive ? and what is the meaning of this double 

 current of air ? To Fluber, we owe the first satisfactory 

 explanation of these curious phenomena. The bees plying 

 their rapid wings in such a singular attitude, are performing 

 the important business of ventilating the hive ; and this 

 double current is composed of pure air rushing in at one 

 part, to supply the place of the foul air forced out at another. 

 By a series of the most careful and beautiful experiments, 

 Huber ascertained that the air of a crowded hive is almost, 

 if not quite, as pure as the atmosphere by which it is sur- 

 rounded. Now, as the entrance to such a hive, is often, 

 (more especially in a state of nature,) very small, the inte- 

 rior air cannot be renewed without resort to some artificial 

 means. If a lamp is put into a close vessel with only one 

 small orifice, it will soon exhaust all the oxygen, and go out. 

 If another small orifice is made, the same result will follow ; 

 but if by some device a current of air is drawn out from one 

 opening, an equal current will force its way into the other, 

 and the lamp will burn until the oil is exhausted. 



It is precisely on this principle of maintaining a double 

 current by artificial means, that the bees ventilate their 

 crowded habitations. A body of active ventilators stands 

 inside of the hive, as well as outside, all with their heads 

 turned towards the entrance, and by the rapid fanning of 

 their wings, a current of air is blown briskly out of the hive, 

 and an equal current drawn in. This important office is one 

 11* 



