276 huber's remarks on the mirror hive. 



would be more advisable to reduce them a line than to 

 augment them, because the bees would then work against 

 the glass. 



The frames are attached on one side with hinges, and on 

 the other with hooks, or with some iron-wire. 



An entrance is formed for the bees, by making a slit in 

 the lower part of the frames, an inch and a half broad to 

 about six in height. This slit ought to be sloping in the middle 

 of the frame ; the glass not being covered by this slit, there 

 is necessarily an opening both before and behind. They are 

 closed at pleasure, by the doors, which run in grooves in 

 the frames of the sides, and which are applied directly 

 against the glass. 



Huber speaking of this hive says, " By it the queen bee 

 can be followed in all her motions, and even in the deposi- 

 tion of her eggs ; because the bees become in time accus- 

 tomed to the opening and shutting of the shutters, and stop 

 no longer in their works when they are observed. The queen 

 bee may be easily caught ; either in the hive, or in the passage, 

 and thereby be prevented from going out. Food can be easily 

 administered to the bees, and they may be kept prisoners 

 at pleasure ; they may be forced to make wax with honey, and 

 honey with sugar j in fact all the experiments can be verified 

 which I have so often tried with success, their results con- 

 firmed, and a guide presented to new discoveries." 



In this recommendation of the mirror hive, we trace all 

 the wild wanderings of Huber's fancy. The assertion that 

 the bees will be so accustomed to the introduction of light 

 and to the gaze of the naturalist, as to prosecute their 

 labours, has not the slightest truth for its foundation, and 

 further to affirm that the deposition of the eggs by the queen 

 can be witnessed, can only be credited by those, who have 

 taken up Huber's work on bees to beguile a vacant hour, 

 but never by those, who possess the slightest knowledge of 

 the internal economy of the hive, or the natural habit of the 



