HIVES WITH IJIMOVABLE COIIBS. 



135 



to make new combs, Avhieh were considered better than older 

 ones (GyGj. 



S^S. Some bee-keepers, having noticed that bees place 

 their honey at the highest part of the hive, added a ca]i or. 

 upper story, which communicated with the hive' through a 

 hole in the top of the latter. Still later, Apiarists found out 

 that when the hive was very deep and the connecting hole 

 small, the bees refused to store their honey in the cap,, and 



54 



STRAW EKE HIVE. 



(From Hamet. ) 



B, body ; A, hole to connect the 



stories with the surplus cap. 



Fig. 55. 



THE EADOUAK EKE HIVE. 



(From Hamet.) 



they made their hives with open ceilings, replarcing the top 

 board of the breeding-story with slats or bars. The hives 

 were afterwards divided into several horizontal sections, called 

 "ekes" (figs. 54 and 55). Instead of using a cap, some Apiar- 

 ists removed the upper stor^', when full of honey, and placed 

 a new story mider the others. The bees then continued their 

 constructions downwards. To separate the sections from one 

 .another, they used a wire that cut the combs. Butler, in his 

 "Feminine Monarchy," 1634, showed hives composed of four 

 sections, piled upon one another. Palteau, in 1750, advised 

 bee-keepers to use a perforated ceiling at the top of each 



