Page:Jardine Naturalist's library Bees.djvu/166

162 Protection from thieves has been sought for in various contrivances, certainly not all of them effectual. Feburier cites Lombard's method of security, which consists in fastening a chain to one of the four supports of the floor-board, bringing it over the top of the hive, turning it once round, then taking it down on the opposite side, and fixing it with a padlock to another of the supports. Huish has improved upon this, placing an iron hoop round the body of the hive, having another fastened to it at right angles, and brought over the top, and both attached to a chain, the two ends of which are secured by a padlock to the post which supports the hive. (See Pl. XX. fig. 5.) The security afforded by either of these methods is about as effectual as that which is afforded by "a lock upon leather"—to use an expression proverbial in Scotland; for a thief would hardly be deterred by the complicated apparatus of chains and hoops, or take the trouble of unwinding them, then in a minute's space, he could either pick the lock, or with a saw cut through the three-inch post, and carry off the whole concern. Howatson's mode is better. "The support of the hive is of malleable iron, having a single stem below, but parted into three, or rather four, branches above, on the top of which branches the board of the hive rests. The lower part of the stem is fastened with lead into a large shapeless stone, sunk to a level with the surface of the ground." To this stem is fastened an apparatus of chains and hoops, similar to that of Lombard and Huish.

Of course it is highly in favour of the bees when the