bee-krkper's manual. 13 



under the sanction of his name, have been sent forth 

 into the world, but which will never stand the test of a 

 rigid and scientific examination. 



Now, this same Franpois Beurnens was a rude, un- 

 educated Swiss peasant, with a mind immersed in all 

 the prejudices of his country, and who pertinaciously 

 adhered to many of the Swiss customs in the manage- 

 ment of bees, which have for their basis the grossest 

 ignorance and superstition. Thus, for instance, when 

 any of the family died in which Beurnens was a domes- 

 tic, he turned all the hives in the garden topsy turvy, in 

 which condition they were obliged to remain until after 

 the funeral, as it was most proper and becoming that the 

 bees should be made to sympathize with the loss which 

 the family had sustained." 



Notwithstanding that the lash of ridicule has been 

 well applied to Huber, by those apiarians whose expe- 

 rience has proved a portion, at least, of his writings as 

 fallacious, yet some of his discoveries are undoubtedly 

 true, inasmuch as they accord with the observations of 

 apiarians in general ; and of this kind is the discovery 

 of the manner in which the impregnation of the queen 

 takes place in the air, by the drones, the subject on 

 which I was speaking, that gave rise to the introduction 

 of this author; and I think I cannot more profitably 

 occupy the attention of the curious reader for a few 

 moments, than to give his account of this discovery in 

 his own words. Here it is : — 



