THE MIRROR OR EXPERIMENTAL HIVE. 275 



fanciful apiarians as an excellent invention for discovering 

 the internal economy of the bee. We, however, are decidedly 

 of opinion, that not a single discovery has ever been made by 

 means of the glass hive, and so far from being conducive to 

 the prosperity and health of the bees, they act in a directly op- 

 posite ratio ; we can therefore only recommend them to those 

 persons, who wish to have a little fine honey at the close of 

 the season, but, who are not very anxious for the preservation 

 of their bees for the operations of the succeeding one. 



THE MIRROR OR EXPERIMENTAL HIVE. 



It is to this hive that we are indebted for many of the 

 discoveries of Huber and Dunbar, especially of the latter 

 naturalist ; for in regard to the former, it appeared to be to 

 him a matter of perfect indifference in what hive his experi- 

 ments were carried on, for the results were always in perfect 

 unison with his anticipations. 



The mirror hive is made from a foot and a half to two feet 

 in height, and to one foot or a foot and a half in breadth. The 

 uprights of which it is formed ought to be two inches thick, 

 and eighteen lines broad. This breadth, which is sufficient 

 for the bees to construct one comb, forms almost the whole 

 interior of the hive. The lower part of the frame is move- 

 able ; to each side of this frame, another frame is affixed, of 

 the same proportions, with the exception of the thickness, 

 which ought only to be six lines. As the first frame is two 

 inches in thickness, it is necessary that the frame of the 

 other should be two inches broader. A groove is made in 

 the inside of these two frames, in which to affix a glass, over 

 which the frame projects about one line, for the purpose of 

 applying the pulley, and the sprigs necessary for fastening 

 the glass. This border augments the capacity of the hive 

 by two lines ; thus it is made of twenty lines, twelve for 

 the combs, and eight for the passages before and behind 

 the comb. These proportions ought to be exact; but it 

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