176 
HIVES. 
combs, which will thus have the form of a wedge, 
and 1 1 1 inches between end and end ; the bars to 
be 1 J inch in breadth, 7 in number, and to measure 
from the centre of one to the centre of another 1 finch.* 
He has also, on the suggestion of Mr. Golding, an 
intelligent Kentish apiarian, adopted another im- 
provement. To induce the bees to lay the foundation 
of theircombs on the centre, and in the direction of the 
bars, instead of across the interstices, as they often 
do, thus preventing their easy removal when desired, 
Wildman spread over them a sheet of paper. Huish 
uses a covering of gauze, and Howatson inserts slips 
of glass ; the two former from a belief that the builders 
would not erect their structure on so unstable a found- 
ation as paper or gauze ; and die latter, from a know- 
ledge of their dislike to the smooth and slippery surface 
of glass. Dr. B.’s method, recommended by his friend, 
is preferable to them all ; it consists in fixing to the 
under side of each bar a small piece of comb, and 
thus furnishing the bees with a line of direction which 
they will implicitly follow. The expedient of a guide- 
comb has been long known and practised, but the 
mode of attaching it to the bur adopted by Dr. B. is 
simple and ingenious. He pours a little melted wax 
on the under surface of the bar, and, while it is warm 
and in a liquid state, applies to it longitudinally a piece 
of guide-comb, taking care that the centre of the 
comb, formed by the bottoms of the cells, shall ex- 
* The back and front boards, in consequence of the slope, 
measure in thickness one inch at the top, and rather more 
than one inch and six-eighths at the bottom. 
