THE HONEY-BEE IN NEW ZEALAND. 
37 
on them as wanted. No one but your assistants should 
come near you whilst you are operating. 
Mr. Wood has a caution in the management of this 
fumigator of Mr. Cotton’s :—In the first place, great care 
must" be taken that the smoke of the rags, fungus, or other 
material used for the purpose is not admitted into the 
hive at too high a temperature. If this is the case, 
the heat of the smoke will in the first place scorch and kill 
the bees who will rush to the entrance of the hive on the 
first intrusion of the fumigating tube, and will also melt 
the wax of the combs, and do considerable mischief. The 
tube, therefore, should be a very long one, and small in 
diameter. There is no hurry about the operation, work 
the bellows quite deliberately, and the danger of burning 
the poor bees, or spoiling the combs will be avoided. 
There is hardly a more pitiable sight than to find on 
turning up the hive a number of bees lying on the board, 
with scorched and shrivelled wings—a loss of no small 
importance, as you will want every bee to set to work im¬ 
mediately, to repair the devastations committed m the 
hive. Another mistake not unfrequently occurs m follow- 
in o- Mr. Cotton’s directions too literally. It is not sufficient 
to have the fumigating box merely made of tin, as will 
most certainly be done if that order s sent to a tinman, 
for the heat of the ignited puff-ball will speedily melt the 
solder, and the whole apparatus will fall to pieces. A 
case of this kind occurred very recently The box and 
tube were made according to order, the clay prepared or 
stopping the entrance of the hive round the tube the 
fungus was duly lighted, placed in the box the bellows 
fitted, and then vigorously worked. Suddenly w 1 e 
operators were complacently puffing away at the Delict, 
and congratulating themselves on securing both honey and 
bees by this method, the box fell m pieces, the tube, con¬ 
sequently, was drawn out of the hive door, and out ras e 
the bees in a tumultuous state of indignation, thereby 
puttino- their would-be captors to an ignominious flight. 
So lest you meet with a similar misfortune, give particular 
oXJtohave the whole affair made fire-proof aad * 
you may proceed without the least danger. Of course this 
