260 HIVE OF BUBER. 



In the interior of the hive two bars are placed crossways, 

 one above the other, for the purpose of supporting the 

 combs. It is requisite that they should project a little, 

 in order that they may be drawn out with pincers when the 

 hive is deprived of its honey. 



In regard to these cross-bars or sticks, we consider their use 

 to be one of the greatest defects of the common straw hive, 

 and even of every hive in which they are used. We further 

 declare them to be altogether useless, for the bees attach the 

 combs too strongly to the sides of the hive, to require the 

 application of any other support. In all our attempts to 

 deprive the common cottage hive of its superfluous store, 

 we have always found these sticks to be one of the greatest 

 impediments ; in fact, they reduce the operation to almost an 

 impossibility. The country people in general stick their 

 hives ridiculously ; for, not being content with one or two, we 

 have frequently seen four and six, which oblige the cottager 

 literally to mangle the combs before he can extract them. 

 In this respect the advantage of the Huish hive will be at 

 once apparent. 



THE HIVE OF HUBER. 



It is by means of this hive, that Huber has pretended to 

 have witnessed all the miracles, with which his natural his- 

 tory of the bee is disfigured ; but we have only to examine 

 minutely its construction, to arrive at once at the conclusion, 

 that his visual powers must have been of most wonderful 

 formation, to enable him to see what he has so minutely 

 and ostentatiously described. 



The frames are eighteen inches in height without the 

 clear ; within they are seventeen inches ; and the breadth is 

 determined by the number of combs which it is desired to 

 have, varying from eight to twelve, allowing one inch four 

 lines for every comb. The accompanying figure represents 



