each of these sticks, the bees fasten their combs; so that a comb may be taken out whole, and with the greatest ease imaginable. To increase them in springtime, (that is, to make artificial swarms,) they divide them, first, separating the sticks on which the combs and bees are fastened from one another with a knife; so taking out the first comb and bees together on each side, they put them into another basket in the same order as they were taken out, until they have equally divided them. After this, when they are both again accommodated with sticks and plaster, they set the new basket in place of the old one, and the old one in some new place. And all this they do in the middle of the day, at such time as the greatest part of the bees are abroad; who, at their coming home, without much difficulty, by this means divide themselves equally. In August, they take their honey, which they do in the day time also, the bees being thereby, say they, disturbed the least; beginning at the outside, and so taking away, until they have left only such a quantity of combs in the middle as they judge will be sufficient to maintain the bees in winter; sweeping those bees that are on the combs into the basket again, and covering them anew with sticks and plaster." Huish has adopted this hive with some additional apparatus. (See Plate X., fig. 5.) The cover, instead of being flat, as in the original hive, has considerable convexity, in order to facilitate the flowing of the water, produced by the condensed vapour, towards the circumference, instead of its being allowed to drop on the bees. To prevent them
