170 
HIVES. 
eacli of these sticks, the bees fasten their combs ; so 
that a comb may be taken out whole, and with the 
greatest ease imaginable. To increase them in spring- 
time, (that is, to make artificial swarms,) they divide 
them, first, separating the sticks on which the combs 
and bees are fastened from one another with a knife ; 
so taking out the first comb and bees together on each 
side, they put them into another basket in the same 
order as they were taken out, until they have equally 
divided them. After this, when they are both again 
accommodated with sticks and plaster, they set the 
new basket in place of the old one, and the old one 
in some new place. And all this they do in the 
middle of the day, at such time as the greatest part 
of the bees are abroad ; who, at their coming home, 
without much difficulty, by this means divide them- 
selves equally. In August, they take their honey, 
which they do in the day time also, the bees being 
thereby, say they, disturbed the least ; beginning at 
the outside, and so taking away, until they have left 
only such a quantity of combs in the middle as they 
judge will be sufficient to maintain the bees in winter ; 
sweeping those bees that arc on the combs into the 
basket again, and covering them anew with sticks 
and plaster.” Huish has adopted this hive with 
some additional apparatus. (See Plate X., fig. 5.) 
The cover, instead of being flat, as in the original 
hive, has considerable convexity, in order to facilitate 
the flowing of the water, produced by the condensed 
vapour, towards the circumference, instead of its be- 
ing allowed to drop on the bees. To prevent them 
