NATURAL INCREASE. 
169 
misfortune or neglect, a comb of store and some 
unsealed brood should be at once given ; then gentle 
feeding, continued with a generous hand until they 
have abundance, will restore contentment. 
Through endeavouring to include all the difficulties 
likely to arise, the whole question may have been 
made to appear unduly complex to the beginner ; 
but a little practice will show the mutual bearing of 
the numerous facts given, and enable the memory to 
easily carry them for use as required. The more 
advanced may suppose that I have been excessively 
cautious in recommending the novice to use gloves 
and veil in work commonly so easy as hiving swarms ; 
but, be it remembered, my advice is to the “ novice,” 
whose remembrances of book directions are likely to 
get sadly scattered if he smart under an unw’elcome 
sting, and then many may follow. In my opinion, 
the learner is far more likely to develop into a 
fearless adept if he start with a success, than if he 
begin by a failure and literally “ taking pains.” In 
the first case, his confidence grows, and his progress 
is secured, as his mind is free to observe, and make 
deductions ; in the second, he neither learns nor 
achieves anything, while his timidity is increased. 
I have known, beside, of more than one of those who 
affect to sneer at a veil, making, now and again, 
more active use of their legs than their fingers. To 
the experienced, gloves are always a nuisance, and 
the veil very rarely needful ; but to the learner 
working alone, I would say — any dressing that may 
be necessary to give calmness, is helpful. Under 
my own eye, in the grounds of the Natural History 
