On the Threshold of the Hive 
curious experiments and researches in his 
gardens at Charenton, and devoted to the 
bees an entire volume of his “‘ Notes to 
Serve for a History of Insects.” One 
may read it with profit to-day, and with- 
out fatigue. It is clear, direct, and sin- 
cere, and possessed of a certain hard, arid 
charm of its own. He sought especially 
the destruction of ancient errors; he him- 
self was responsible for several new ones ; 
he partially understood the formation of 
swarms and the political establishment 
of queens; in a word, he discovered 
many difficult truths, and paved the way 
for the discovery of more. He fully 
appreciated the marvellous architecture 
of the hive; and what he said on the 
subject has never been better said. It is 
to him, too, that we owe the idea of the 
glass hives, which, having since been 
perfected, enable us to follow the entire 
private life of these fierce insects, whose 
II 
