Page:Jardine Naturalist's library Bees.djvu/186

182 have been accustomed to manage bees. The insects cannot cluster together in it, as in other hives, and concentrate the heat during winter, and, therefore, are liable to perish; and the smallest variation of the atmosphere is injurious to the brood. If, in order to preserve it, it is put into a warm place, it must be constantly fed." This is the kind of hive we have made use of in our experiments; and as the figure, given by Feburier, (Plate XII., fig. 3,) is but little adapted to convey a correct idea of it, we shall present our readers with a sketch of our own hive, exhibiting what we consider some improvements on the original. Fig. 2, Plate XII., is the frame which contains the comb, two feet long and eighteen inches high, inside measure. The uprights and, and the top piece c, are two inches broad, and one inch thick; f, f, are cross sticks, about three-eighths of an inch square, for supporting the comb; c is a piece of comb fixed in the frame for a guide; g, g, are two iron staples, by which the frame is secured to the floor-board. Fig. 4, represents one of the outer frames containing two panes of glass,  and , each eighteen inches high and twelve broad, fixed in slender frames which are hinged to the outer-frame, and shut flush with it, resting against a vertical bar, c, which is half an inch square. When the two outer frames are applied and fastened by means of hooks and eyes, one on each side, to the inner frame containing the comb, the distance between the glasses is exactly twenty lines, or 1⅔ of an inch. The panes being made to