THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
91 
will at once be attracted by living bees, especially 
when there is a chance of seeing the ■‘queen ; ’ 
the interest thus excited will often be the means 
whereby another beekeeper is added to the ranks. 
Many beekeepers would like to have such an 
object in their living rooms, having the entrance 
and exit through, say, a window ; this in many 
cases can easily be arranged by an intelligent 
person. * 
We will therefore give some simple instructions 
how to construct an observatory hive holding four 
frames, and also one to hold one frame commonly 
called an unicomb observatory hive. This latter 
description is only of use where the bees have not 
to be confined for any great length of time, but 
where they have to be kept in the hive for weeks * 
or months the four-comb hive must be used. The 
unicomb hive is usually kept for the simple pur- 
pose of showing the queen, attendant workers, 
comb, and brood, without any danger to the | 
spectators of being stung, and owing to its limited 
capacity little scientific investigation can be carried 
on by its assistance. The bees are rarely seen in 
a strictly normal condition in so small a hive, and 
seldom it is safe to allow them to fly from it ; but 
with the larger and more imposing four or more 
frame observatory hive, the bees can be kept in it 
during the whole of the summer months, and 
allowed to fly, as with any ordinary frame-hive, 
though no surplus can be expected from such a 
colony. 
Const / uction of an Unicomb Observatory Hive. 
— The whole of the material can be cut from four 
cut stuff, which should be free from knots and 
nicely planed. The two sides should be first cut 
out to the following dimensions and shape : — 12 
inches long by 2^ broad at top ends, this latter 
size to l>e continued downwards to the opposite 
end for 9 inches ; the bottom ends must be 5^ 
inches broad and tapered to 3 inches to meet that 
portion of the sides that has been cut down to 7 .]/ z 
inches. These two pieces must be clamped 
together and nicely finished olT, that both may be 
exactly the same size and shape. You thus have 
two sides 2]/^ inches broad to w ithin 3 inches of 
bottom, but splayed to inches from this point 
downwards. Two grooves must now be cut out of 
the inside of each of these sides from the top or 
narrow end. and continued to just below where 
the splay commences. These grooves arc for the 
two glass slides to slip in. A distance of I % inch 
from the outsides of each of these sheets of glass 
being allowed when cutting grooves, thus providing 
a space of i^j inch between the insides when the 
glass is in position. At the top or narrow ends 
a piece must be cut out % inch wide by inch 
deep for the lugs of the frame to rest on, and at 
the bottom or splayed end of one piece a £s inch 
centre-bit hole should be bored for an entrance. 
A floor-board must now be cut out of the same 
stuff 17 x 5J3 inches. The two sides can now be 
nailed on to this board at a distance of 14 *3 inches 
from each other, inside measuremeant. the splayed 
ends just fitting the width of the floor-board. 
You now have two uprights on a floor-board, 
these uprights having grooves in the inside edges 
to accommodate the glass slides. Two pieces of 
the same stuff must now be cut to the following 
dimensions: — 14^ x 3#. and through each, and 
equidistant from each other, are to be bored five 
inch centre bit holes. These two pieces are 
to be fitted and placed in position between the 
two uprights, to extend from the outsidge edge of 
floor to 1 inch above where the splay commences ; 
they will each have to have their opposite edges 
bevelled to fit properly in their position. Over 
each of the five holes must be nailed pieces of 
w'ire cloth, forming ventilators to the bottom 
portion of the hive under the comb. Having 
nailed these in position the glass can be cut out 
for the sides, and fitted into the grooves. The 
glass must be flush with the tops of the sides, and 
extend just below the top edges of the two wooden 
portions of sides in which are the ventilators. The 
cover is made from a piece of the same stuff 
17 x 3 H' The top side of this should be bevelled, 
and the underside fitted with fillets to shut right 
over and close to the ends and glass sides, making 
all bee-proof. The whole must be well glass- 
papered, sized, and varnished. Any kind of 
scentless wood can be used, and of course any 
description of plain ornamentation can be added. 
The frame of comb and bees are lowered down 
between the glass sides, and the lugs of the frame, 
which must be shortened, rest in the two slots on 
top of ends of hive, the cover shutting all in snug 
and tight. The centre-bit hole in the bottom of one 
of the ends is used to run any more bees in which 
may be required to increase the population. 
To Construct a Four-framed Observatory Hive. 
— These hives are usually constructed to swing 
round on a pivot in centre of bottom of hive, and 
stand so that either side can be turned to the 
spectator without moving the stand. We will 
first describe the stand. This must be made 
hollow for just over half its length. It can be 
best managed by cutting out a slot from the 
inside, and affixing a thin piece of wood over the 
slot. 1 -inch stuff must be used, the slot being 
^6-inch deep. It is through this sl"t that the bees 
obtain access to the hive, thus answering the 
purpose of an entrance. Exactly in the centre 
of the stand, a 1 ^ -inch centre-bit hole is made, 
and a piece of strong brass tube inserted, fitting 
into this hole perfectly tight, and further secured 
by means of screw -. The tube must be flush w'ith 
the top surface of the stand, and also flush with 
the underside in the slot mentioned before. The 
stand must be at least 6 inches broad, and ex- 
tended to 9 inches in the centre. You thus have 
a stand with a tunnel running from one end. and 
having communication at Us end through the brass 
tube at surface in centre. The bottom or thin 
piece of wood must not be fixed over the under 
side of the slot until the hive is finished. The 
bottom board of the hive is made from t-inch stuff, 
cut to the following dimensions, 34 x 2)2 > ibis 
receiving the two sides and middle partition, 
which must be mortised into it for strength. 
Exactly in the centre of this bottom-board, a 
centre-bit hole must l»e bored to correspond with 
the hole in the centre of the stand. Into this a 
piece of bras.-: lube is fixed, of the exact size of the 
inside of the pieces of tube fixed in stand, flush 
with the upper surface of the floor-board, but 
long enough to come just below' the bottom edge 
