176 THE BEE-HrVES. 



heart side ; that this cannot fail to bring the board out of a level; 

 and that the heart side will always be convex. You have all 

 seen bee-hives, probably, with the corners separated and gaping 

 open, while the middle of the board was tight up in place. The 

 reason was that the mechanic had put the boards on, wrong side 

 out. If the heart side had been outward, the corners of the hive 

 would have curled inwardly, and if the middle had been nailed 

 securely, the whole hive would have been likely to have close, 

 tight joints, even if exposed to the sun, wind, and rain." — ("A. 

 B. C. of Bee-Culture," page 103.) 



363. Double-walled hives, chaff hives, and Winter cov- 

 ers, will be described in the chapter on "Wintering" (619). 

 The upper-stories, half-stories, wide frames, sections, etc., 

 for comb, or extracted honey, will be discussed in the chap- 

 ter on honey producing (716). 



Ventilation op the Bee-Hive. 



364:. If a populous colony is examined on a warm day, 

 a number of bees may be seen standing upon the alighting- 

 board, with their heads turned towards the entrance of the 

 hive, their abdomens slightly elevated, and their wings in 

 such rapid motion, that they are almost as indistinct 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 at its entrance, by a 

 thread, it will be drawn out from one part, and drawn in at 

 another. Why are these bees so deeply absorbed in their 

 fanning occupation, that they pay no attention to the busy 

 numbers constantly crowding in and out of the hive ? and 

 what is the meaning of this double current of air? To Huher 

 we owe the satisfactory explanation of these curious phe- 

 nomena. The bees, thus singularly plying their rapid wings 

 are ventilating the hive ; and this double current is caused by 

 pure air rushing in, to supply the place of the foul air which 



