198 AUSTRALASIAN 



bottom board at the entrance to the hive. I continue shaking 

 out a few at a time till the bees commence running into the 

 hive, when the box may be emptied in front by degrees. It 

 is as well not to shake all the bees in front at once or they 

 may rise again and give extra trouble. A few bees will be 

 sure to rise and settle again in the same place, but unless there 

 is a large cluster no notice need be taken of them, for when 

 they find the queen not there they will soon go in search of 

 her, and hearing the joyous hum of their companions entering 

 the hive will soon join them. If by any chance the queen 

 should not have entered the hive, the fact may soon be known by 

 the bees running about in all directions in search of her, and 

 led by them the bee-keeper will soon discover her whereabouts, 

 when he must take steps to get her in, and the bees will soon 

 follow. After all the bees are in the hive, it may be shifted 

 at once to its permanent stand from whence it was removed, 

 or it may be left till evening. I prefer shifting it at once. 



I have found the above plan of hiving swarms the best of 

 any I have yet tried. Some recommend leaving the hive in 

 its permanent position, and carrying the swarm to be shaken 

 out in Eront of it ; but with me this plan has not been at all 

 successful. A large number of bees are sure to rise again and 

 fly back to the place where they were brought from, when 

 they are lost to the new colony, whereas, if they are hived at 

 the spot, those that rise will soon find their way back to their 

 queen. 



Mr. Mulvany describes his mode of hiving swarms as 

 follows : — 



" The mouth of the sack, or the box itself with the sacking drawn 

 back, according to circumstances, is held around or just under the 

 cluster, and the bees shaken or brushed into the box, which is then 

 laid on the ground, mouth downwards, but partly raised, until all 

 stragglers have found out and joined the queen in the box. When all 

 the bees are secured, the sacking is drawn forwards, gathered in one 

 hand, and tied with a string as near the mouth of the box as possible. 

 The swarm can then be carried anywhere, accurately weighed (which 

 I consider one of the conveniences of the plan), and either hived at 

 once or hung up in a shady place till required. When brought to the 

 hive, which is already in its place and provided with frames of founda- 

 tion, comb, or honey and brood as desired, the cover is lifted off, the 

 end of the Backing drawn over the opened hive, the string untied, and 

 the bees shaken down ore top of the frames. The entrance of the hive 

 may be stopped loosely with cotton wadding, and the bees left to 



