Of the various Enemies of Bees, 8c. 2 14 
humane practice,) he certainly deftroys more 
of thefe his faithful fervants, annually, than a- 
ny other clafs of animals whatever, or, indeed, 
than all the other beafts, birds, and infects u- 
nited, ever did. Nor are thofe prejudiced mur- 
derers of the bees, their only enemies among 
mankind. The predatory clafs, who fteal ei- 
ther their honey, or the whole hives, prove e- . 
qually deftructive to them. But it is to be hop- 
ed, that as felf intereft and humanity equally 
unite in exploding the praétice of the murder- 
ers, fo the effectual execution of the laws will 
prove a fufficient protection from the thieves t. 
The three next greateft enemies of the bees 
are, Cold, Famine, and Robbers of their own 
{fpecies: To which may be added, as the fourth 
moft deftructive clafs of enemies, mice. By 
one or other of thefe, or all of them united, 
hundreds of hives of bees perifh annually in 
Britain, while their other enemies hurt them 
but rarely or partially. 
) AM iE ! Of 
+ Perhaps I can boaft of a degree of good fortune, in this re- 
{peét, that {earcely one in the kingdom can equal ; for, notwith- 
ftanding the great number of bee:hives I have had ftanding in the 
midft of muirs, and far from arly houfes, I never had a fingle hive 
ftolen but one, nor ever loft one fingle fwarm to my knowledge, 
by their flying away in {warming time: 
