Page:Jardine Naturalist's library Bees.djvu/217

Rh is finished. The other may now be brought from its confinement, and placed on another pedestal. Possessing a queen, there is little danger of any of the bees leaving it for the other; and even this may be effectually prevented by placing that other in confinement for twenty-four hours, after which time, the hive with the old queen will have become accustomed to their new station. We have recommended the employment of smoke in the above operation. This is so useful an auxiliary in every operation with bees, that it is worth while to ascertain the most effectual and convenient method of using it. Howatson has given a description of an instrument which seems well enough suited to the purpose: "We use," says he, "a fumigating box of tin, of the form of which we cannot give a better idea, though rather a ludicrous one, than supposing it an old shoe, with a hole in the toe, and a spur on the heel; the mouth of this shoe, moreover, is covered with a hinged lid. The spur is a tube communicating with the interior, for receiving the pipe of a pair of common hand-bellows, the blast of which drives the smoke forward through the hole in the toe into the skep. The burning rags, or other materials for producing the smoke, lie directly under the lid, and a piece of moveable perforated tin is put in near the mouth, so as to intercept the sparks which would otherwise be emitted, and burn the bees or melt the combs. This fumigating box is ten inches long and three broad; it is two inches deep at the heel, and tapers gradually down