134 Ilev. Mr Jameson on a new method (^uniting Bee-hives. 
descending (which they would do) by the other to the hive 
from whence they were dislodged. The hives being in the si- 
tuation now described, the operator strikes on the under hive, 
(taking care not to strike so strong as to hurt the combs), till 
the bees, being terrified by the noise, take refuge in the upper 
hive. A quantity of small beer must be made milk-warm, 
and as much soft sugar melted in it as will make a thin gruel. 
A bunch of feathers, or brush, must also be ready. The ope- 
rator now gently lifts the hive containing the dislodged bees : 
his assistant also is ready to lift up the hive with which these are 
to be united. The hive which is to receive the new colony is 
turned with its mouth upwards, when a person standing ready 
sprinkles as quick as possible tlie bees as they show themselves 
’with the liquor already described. When he thinks all are 
pretty well drenched, he stops. The same operation having 
been performed on the other hive, that is, the hive which was 
dislodged from their own work, these bees are emptied into the 
hive destined to receive the colony as quick as possible, and 
swept with a bunch of feathers into the interstices between the 
combs. The hive is instantly reverted, and placed on the 
stand. 
The operation is best performed in the evening. In a few 
hours after the union, all will be quiet. Next day, you may 
perhaps see a few skirmishes, owing to the sprinkling liquor har- 
ving missed some of them ; but very few will suffer death. 
This year I do not think I lost threescore of bees by the opera- 
tion. Four quarts of small beer, with lb. of common soft 
sugar, should do for the uniting of two common sized hives. 
In this method of uniting hives, there is no danger of drown- 
ing the insects, as there is in uniting them by M. Huish’s man- 
ner, or creating a bloody and exterminating civil war, the ge- 
neral consequence of Mr BonnaFs plan. 
The explanation of the principle may be left to naturalists. 
It would appear, that bees judge very much by the smell, 
and that all those scented by the small-beer and sugar are 
thus induced to regard each other as friends and associates. 
St Mungo, ] 
November 1819. I 
