sively either of these points of view, we are in 

 danger of falling either into gross materialism, 

 or into vague pantheism. He who beholds 

 nothing in Nature besides organs and their func- 

 tions, may persuade himself that the animal is 

 merely a combination of chemical and mathe- 

 matical actions and reactions, and thus becomes 

 a materialist. 



We have here thrown together a mass of 

 valuable observations, which will greatly 

 induce to "thought; 1 ' and we have little 

 doubt they will pave the way to much useful 

 meditation. 



The Bee-Keeper' 's Manual ; or Practical 

 Hints for the Management and Complete 

 Preservation of ■ the Honey Bee. — By Henry 

 Taylor. 4-th edition, Revised, Enlarged, and 

 Improved. 12mo. Groombridge and 

 Sons. 



" Twelve years," says the author of this 

 valuable little book, " have elapsed since 

 the original publication of the ' Bee-keep- 

 er's Manual.' For the fourth time the 

 author is called upon to revise his little 

 book ; and he still thinks that the leading 

 object in offering it to public notice will best 

 be explained in the words with which it was 

 first introduced. The existence of the fol- 

 lowing pages had its origin, some time ago, 

 in the request of a friend, that the author 

 would give him a brief practical compen- 

 dium of the management of bees, on the 

 humane or depriving system. Similar appli- 

 cations came from other quarters. The 

 subject is one which has of late acquired in- 

 creased interest ; but the hints following 

 would perhaps never have been prepared for 

 the press, had not the hours of a protracted 

 confinement by illness required some diver- 

 sity of occupation and amusement. On re- 

 viewing his experience as an amateur bee- 

 keeper, the author was led to believe that 

 the result of it, added to a concise view of 

 such particulars as are usually spread over 

 a large surface in works of this nature, and 

 arranged according to the progressive order 

 of the -seasons, might be useful to others, 

 seeking like himself occasional relaxation 

 from weightier matters in watching over and 

 protecting these interesting and valuable 

 insects. Step by step this or that defect of 

 construction in his hives had been remedied, 

 and such conveniencies added as necessity 

 or the spirit of improvement from time to 

 time had suggested. These are briefly de- 

 scribed in the following little work. If it 

 have the good fortune, though in a small 

 degree, to smooth the path (usually a rough 

 and uncertain one) of the apiarian novice — 

 of removing ignorance and prejudice, or of 

 ohviating any portion of the difficulties 

 with which a more general cultivation of 

 bees has to contend—why may not the con- 

 tribution of this mite be considered a 



humble addition to the store of useful 



KNOWLEDGE ? 



" In its present renewed form, the author 

 has been induced partially to extend his first 

 design (originally much restricted in its 

 scope), by entering someAvhat more at large 

 into the subject of Bee-management, and the 

 general details of practice. Although not 

 professing to offer his remarks to any par- 

 ticular class of readers, he is, nevertheless, 

 inclined to think they will frequently be 

 found, in an especial degree, applicable to 

 the position of the amateur apiarian. For 

 the peculiar use of cottage bee-keepers, 

 tracts and scraps innumerable have been 

 issued — probably with very uncertain effect. 

 In short, there is little room for doubt that 

 these can be more effectually benefited by 

 example and verbal advice, than by any 

 kind of printed instructions. Be this as it 

 may, leaving out of the question the long- 

 train of contingencies incident to locality, 

 season, &c, much must often be left to indivi- 

 dual judgment and careful observation ; and 

 no writer can be expected to meet every sup- 

 posable case of difficulty in dealing with 

 insects, confessedly often so intractable as 

 bees. The author, therefore, must be con- 

 sidered as merely laying down a scheme of 

 general recommendations ; aiming much less 

 at novelty than at plain practical utility; 

 not hesitating occasionally to borrow the lan- 

 guage of other unexceptionable authorities 

 where it clearly expressed his convictions, 

 or coincided with the results of his own ex- 

 perience ; but carefully abstaining from any 

 interference with the dogmatists and hyper- 

 critics in the settlement of the affairs of 

 their peculiar vocation. 



" If some of the recommendations rela- 

 tive to the construction of hives or their 

 appurtenances appear to be tedious to the 

 general reader, it must be borne in mind 

 that these directions are chiefly addressed 

 to the mechanic, who will rarely be found 

 to object that his particular department has 

 been aided by a careful attention to matters 

 of detail in description. 



" On the whole, the author is induced to 

 hope that the improved arrangement, addi- 

 tional information, and variety of illustra- 

 tion now introduced, will render superfluous 

 any apology for a small unavoidable increase 

 in the size of the book." 



We have chosen to give the Preface to a 

 modest, unpretending book like this, entire. 

 When we say that the contents bear out 

 what has been advanced by the author in 

 his Preface, any comment of ours beyond 

 this would be superfluous. The volume is 

 full of interesting matter, and we shall fre- 

 quently, no doubt, have occasion to extract 

 " honey" from it. We will therefore now 

 only give Mr. Taylor's neat and intelligent 

 comments on the Queen, or Mother Bee ; 



