HIVES FOR BEE-KEEPERS. 
43 
of two glass plates, fixed by a frame at somewhat 
less than 3 in. from each other, the bees built two 
parallel combs, instead of the single flat one desired, 
and so hid their operations from view. To prevent 
this he allowed no more than eighteen lines* between his 
glass plates, and in this narrow chamber succeeded 
in establishing swarms, which he had provided with 
comb already built, as, if left to themselves, the bees, 
instead of constructing a single large comb parallel to 
the glass sides, would arrange a number of tiny ones 
set at right angles to them, so strongly does their 
instinct revolt against building one comb only. He 
found that his bees had sufficient freedom of move- 
ment, and they could not form in thick bunches 
upon the comb, as they did where greater width was 
allowed them. The colonies appeared to be content, 
and worked with assiduity, while no cell was hidden 
from view. But, he argues, it might be objected 
that the natural conditions had been so changed that 
the instinct of the bees might not have full play. 
So that, to overcome every species of doubt, he 
arranged a form of hive which did not lose the ad- 
vantage of the narrow one, while approaching much 
more nearly the ordinary shape, in which bees build 
many combs parallelly disposed. Having procured 
several deal frames (B, Fig. 8), ift. square, and fifteen 
finest wide (on which width numbers were put as in 
the Figure), he united them by hinges (^, A), in such 
* The French inch being f of an English inch, makes this amount 
i-^in., or only ^in. more than the normal. See page 41. 
+ Fifteen French lines, i^fin., as nearly as possible — the amount now 
accounted the best for each comb and interspace. 
