136 miner's AMERICAN 



some extent. On such occasions, should the hive be 

 raised, it might appear to be filled with a solid mass of 

 bees, when, in reality, not half of an ordinary swarm 

 are there. The deception is produced by the bees 

 clustering on each side, within the hive, and then throw- 

 ing a sheet of bees across the bottom, connected with 

 festoons of bees from the top of the hive. In such 

 cases, almost the whole of the interior of the hive is an 

 open, unoccupied space. I have often witnessed this 

 delusion, and in nine cases out of ten, bee-keeper|jWOuld 

 suppose that the hive was filled to a perfect jam. This 

 case often occurs when a large body of bees cluster 

 outside ; and one would say that it was utterly im- 

 possible that the hive could afford sufficient room for the 

 whole family ; but let the weather change — let the wind 

 veer around to the north, and let the sun be shut out by 

 cold, damp clouds, and presto ! what a change ! Why, 

 a person not in the secret, would say positively, that 

 half of his bees had deserted their tenement ! Instead 

 of a hive full to overflowing, a snug, compact, moderate- 

 sized swarm, is closely formed in the top of the hive, 

 through which the white tips of a row of beautiful 

 pearly combs appear. 



Bee-keepers should, in very warm weather, be particu- 

 lar in shading the hives of new swarms fully and effec- 

 tually, and in case of having swarms that appear to be 

 hard pressed for room, an abundance of fresh air should 

 be admitted at the bottom of the hive — even raise 

 it on blocks, at each corner, one inch high. This 

 proceeding will prevent the bees from clustering on the 



