178 
their fanning. This occasions great loss to the bee- 
keeper, as all this takes place when the honey season is 
at its height. In the greater part of the hives now in 
use, this cannot be prevented. In the Champion hives, 
a current of air can be made to pass from the entrance 
to the top of the hive, and all heated or foul air al- 
lowed to escape by opening the fly holes, giving at the 
same time a more direct road to the honey boxes. 
Our feeder, heretofore named, is arranged to use also 
as a ventilator in the top of the hive directly over the 
centre of the bee cluster ; with it, ventilation is ob- 
tained from the centre of the hive, and so arranged 
that no cold current can pass; it admits air without 
light, and is never glued by the bees. Ventilation can 
be regulated or entirely stopped by a simple turn like 
a faucet. 
If a hive is thoroughly ventilated, or made with 
double sides, thus forming a dead air space around the 
entire colony, which prevents the warm rays of the 
sun from penetrating to the interior of the hive, the 
bees will not cluster outside, but remain at their labor, 
gathering a larger amount of honey; while in some 
hives, they lose the best chances for so doing by being 
interrupted by suffocating heat. 
In early spring, or late in the fall, it is necessary to 
diminish the size of the entrance, in order to retain the 
heat necessary for breeding. By sliding the entrance- 
