the proper age, and fixed it in a Huber hive which had died out during the preceding winter, and was now full of empty comb. We then removed to the opposite side of the garden, and quite out of sight, one of the hives which had an outlying, or rather out-hanging mass attached to its alighting-board, instantly clapping down in its place on the same board the already prepared hive, and, with the help of a hot sun, forcing the others to enter. They made a tremendous noise, and seemed much disconcerted at finding, instead of the rich combs they had hitherto been familiar with, nothing but empty cells. This agitation was kept up all the day by the continued arrival of those bees which had been abroad when the substitution took place, and who added greatly to the population. At noon next day we inspected the new establishment, and found, to our great satisfaction, that the experiment had completely succeeded. The foundations of three royal cells had been laid in the small piece of brood comb we had given them. In due time the Queen was hatched, the hive prospered, and at the end of the season, we took from it nine quarts of honey. I may observe, that, though it was a Huber's hive we used on this occasion, it would have succeeded equally well with a straw one; the construction of the hive had no influence on the experiment farther than that it rendered it easier to fasten the piece of brood comb, from its being made to open in leaves.[1]
- ↑ We repeated this operation on a common hive this season, (1834,) sending off the artificial swarm immediately to the heath. On bringing it back, three weeks afterwards, we found
