THE HONEY-BEE. 
183 
open is indispensable for experimental operations, 
sucli as seizing the Queen, cutting out brood-comb. 
See. ; d, d, are shutters 1 £ inch in thickness, which 
render unnecessary the surtout described by Febu- 
rier, and are much more convenient. Fig. 5, is the 
floor-board, which has the entrances — for there are 
tu:o, one on each side — in the thickness, sloping up- 
wards to the centre of the floor ; a, a, are two iron 
rods which keep the hive firm on its board, by pass- 
ing through the two staples in the centre frame. 
Fig. 6, is the hive mounted on its floor-board, with 
its shutters closed ; b, is the roof, sloping on each 
side, and fastened by a hook and eye at each corner. 
The whole turns on a pivot, c, which is the upper 
end of a post driven into the ground. Fig. 7, is the 
hive seen in profile. When the observer is satisfied 
with inspecting one side of tho comb, he may wheel 
the hive round and examine the other, without 
changing his station, taking care, before turning it, 
to open the door nearest to him, and shut the 
other immediately after. By this mode of proceed- 
ing he may contemplate his favourites at his leisure, 
without disturbing them, and without the slightest 
danger of being annoyed by them ; for it is true that 
they become so much accustomed to the opening of 
the shutters that the admission of the light ceases to 
disturb them. Feburicr speaks of the difliculty of in- 
troducing the bees into this hive — the difficulty is very 
trifling. Raise the hive three inches from its board, 
supporting it below by a lath of wood, placed on edge, 
two feet long and three inches deep ; there will thus 
