vi PREFACE. 



into a too hasty substitution of a new theory for 

 an old, he begs no other indulgence, than that his 

 conclusions should be tested with care at least 

 equal to that by which he has endeavoured to 

 support them. He thus trusts that, truth prevailing, 

 the little corner of the vast field of human inquiry 

 in which he has had the honour to labour may be 

 enriched by facts which may give a new departure, 

 and make Apiculture both more delightful and more 

 profitable, because more intelligent. 



It has been thought wise to treat, as far as 

 possible, the Scientific and Practical aspects of the 

 question, notwithstanding the close dependence of the 

 latter upon the former, in two separate volumes, 

 which should be, together, a complete guide in all 

 matters, both touching the Natural History and Man- 

 agement of the Hive Bee. Of these volumes, the 

 first is mainly devoted to the consideration of the 

 anatomy and physiology of the bee itself, the 

 peculiarities of the sexes, and the principles of 

 comb structure, while the fascinating botanical ques- 

 tion of the relation of bees to flowering plants has 

 been rather fully treated. The Illustrations here are, 

 in some points, like those in the Author's large 

 Diagrams, published by the British Beekeepers' Asso- 

 ciation, and which, unfortunately, have been copied 

 by one or two writers with a faithfulness which is 

 flattering, although, with a reticence far more common 

 than commendable, they have abstained from men- 

 tioning the source whence their material has been 



