OBSERVATORY-HIVE.

Having now given such a description and explanation of my collateral box-hives, and of my inverted-hive, as will, by referring to the plates or cuts that accompany them, make both of those hives, and every thing pertaining to them, to be clearly understood; I proceed to explain, in the next place, my OBSERVATORY-HIVE. With the help of the subjoined representative figures or cuts, I hope to succeed in my endeavour to make the reader thoroughly acquainted with every part of it, novel, though it be, and, as far as I know, unlike any hive hitherto invented. At first sight it may probably appear to be a piece of complicate machinery, but upon examination it will be found to be otherwise—I may say—simple and easy. A little curiosity and a little patient attention are all the requisites that I entreat my apiarian friends to bring with them to the studying of this grand hive. I call it grand, not because it is my own invention, but because it is admirably adapted for advancing, and perhaps for perfecting, our knowledge of the habits and economy of Honey-Bees.

With the variation of one short word, the following passage from Evans' delightful poem on Bees is so applicable to my observatory-hive that I am tempted to adopt it as a motto.

The observatory-hive, as here exhibited in Fig. 1, consists of two apartments—an upper one and a lower one. The upper one, (marked a. b. c. d. e. e.) is properly the observatory-hive, and may be called the summer-pavilion; the lower one, (marked g.) may be termed the winter-pavilion. Of this winter-pavilion but little need be said, except that it is an octagonal box, in size, in substance, and in every respect, similar to the octagon-part of the inverted-hive described in the last chapter; save only that its top must not be cut away, as is there directed to be done. At present let us suppose this top to be a perfect plane—an entire surface, without any aperture of any sort to form a passage for the Bees from and through it down into the pavilion below; farther let us suppose an alighting-board of the usual size to be fixed in front, and on a level with this floor or top; then the quÆre will be—how, from the same front-entrance, the Bees are to have a passage both into the observatory-hive above, and into the winter-pavilion below? The difficulty is—to get a convenient passage into the summer-pavilion, because the whole of that pavilion is made to turn round on the shoulder of an upright shaft, through which shaft the passage for the Bees must of necessity be made, and which does not admit of a bore of above an inch in diameter. As, however, this narrow, perpendicular passage is of no great length, (it need not be more than three inches) many thousands of Bees will, in the course of a few minutes, if necessary, make their egress and regress through it without incommoding one another. That this rather intricate part—the construction of this passage-work—may be fully comprehended, I will endeavour to illustrate it by references to a well-known article, now standing on the table, on which I am writing. It is a telescopic candlestick, the pedestal of which covers a square space upon my table, each side of which superficial square is three inches. Now suppose this candlestick was screwed or glued to the centre of the plain, tabular top of the octagon (g.) having one of its sides parallel to that side of the floor to which the alighting-board is attached. Next, suppose that side of the candlestick to be cut away so as to form an entrance into the interior of the pedestal, two inches in front and half an inch in height; and let there be a covered-way of this height, from the opened side of the pedestal to the front-entrance of the hive: then, if the front-entrance be six inches wide, the Bees on coming in will enter this covered-way, which from six inches narrows to three at the part where they enter the pedestal, and begin to ascend the perpendicular passage which leads through it and through the upright shaft of the candlestick into the—at present—supposed apartment above. The top-part of a telescopic candlestick may be turned round at pleasure; consequently, if the pedestal be fixed and made immoveable, the top, and whatever may be upon that top and fastened to it, may be moved round notwithstanding: this is what we particularly want in the construction of an observatory-hive, and must, therefore, be particularly attended to. A piece of clean, close-grained wood—beech, elder, mahogany, or any other firm wood—made much in the shape of our telescopic candlestick, but of not more than two inches and a half in height, with a bore through it of an inch in diameter, and turned, that is, wrought in a lathe, so that an inch of the top-part may enter into, and neatly fit, the cap fixed round the inch bore at the centre of the bottom-frame of the upper pavilion (Fig. 2), and which cap is represented by the moveable top of the candlestick, is, as well as I can describe it, the pedestal to support the observatory-hive,—is, with the cap just mentioned, the compound, or double-hinge upon which that hive is turned round,—and is also the Bee-way into that hive.

The way into the winter-pavilion, or octagon (g.) is made by cutting a circular hole through the very centre of the plane top, an inch in diameter, directly under the upward passage; so that the Bees, whether their way be into the summer-pavilion above, or into the winter-pavilion below, lies through the pedestal, and the only difference is, that one passage leads upwards and the other downwards. The covered-way which has been so often mentioned, may easily be made by taking out of the under-side of the bottom-board of the paneled and roofed box, made to secure the observatory-hive, and which is placed upon the top of the winter-pavilion, just as much as will allow a sufficient space for that way.

Having completed the passages, my next business is—to describe the novel apartment into which the passage through the pedestal leads—that is, the real observatory-hive.

Figure 2 shows the upper glass-frame of this hive with two small circular openings through the top of each arm, over which openings are placed small glasses, (at e. e.) in both Figures, for receptacles for honey, and are intended to answer the same purpose as those do which are placed upon the inverted-hive. A line drawn from one extremity of any one of these arms or wings, to the extremity of the arm or wing directly opposite to it, is twenty-three inches; and the distance between the dotted lines, which are intended to mark the glass-way, or, in joiners' phrase, the rebate to receive the edges of the glass, is exactly one inch and three-fourths. The lower glass-frame, which (in Fig. 1) is placed upon f. the shaft of the pedestal already described, is the exact counterpart of the upper frame, with the exception of its not having any perforations for honey-glasses: the only perforation in this frame is that at its centre; which must be made to correspond with that of the shaft, and be a continuation of the Bee-passage into the hive. These two frames are connected and made one by four upright pieces, or ends, (marked a. b. c. d. in Fig. 1,) these upright, end-pieces must be rebated, or channeled, to receive the ends of the glass-plates. Eight squares of glass, each ten inches and a half by ten inches, fastened with putty into this frame-work,—that is, two squares into each wing, will complete the glass-hive; which, when placed upon the top of the pedestal, and made steady by an axis fixed at the central point of the upper frame, and turning in a socket under the ball, constitutes an observatory-hive. Confined as is the space between the glass-plates in each wing, they being but an inch and three-fourths apart, there is, nevertheless, room enough for the construction of one comb; and space for more than one comb would spoil it as an observatory-hive: and, though each wing may appear to be but small, there are upwards of 760 cubic inches of clear space in the hive. It is so constructed that plenty of light and the utmost transparency are afforded for observing and minutely examining the Bees and the works of the Bees in all their stages. Indeed the grand object of this contrivance is—to expose to view the labours of the Bees in the inside of their hive; and as the machine may be moved round at pleasure, not a Bee can enter it, without being observed, nor can a single cell be constructed in secret. I will only add—that the appearance of the Bees in this hive is beautiful, and excites admiration and surprise,—nay, is capable of enlivening the drooping spirits of the most desponding apiarian; for who can view the Queen of the hive constantly laying her eggs, and, by so doing, constantly propagating her species, and her thousands of loyal subjects, whose indefatigable labour in all its parts is so conspicuous, without experiencing sensations of the purest pleasure,—nay, more of gratitude to God for his goodness to man!

It has been suggested to me by some ingenious friends—that a couple of magnifying glasses set in the doors, and some mechanical contrivance to open a part of the roof by simply pulling a cord, and to throw a proper light upon the four wings of the hive, would be a great improvement; because, by these means, or by some such means as these, the opening and shutting of the doors would be rendered unnecessary,—and, because the Bees and their curious works would be more interesting by being viewed through magnifying glasses,—and because the exterior appearance of the whole concern would be more handsome. Without the slightest hesitation I admit—that, to those persons to whom expense is no object, the mode of examining the observatory-hive would be improved by some such arrangements as those just mentioned; but the hive itself would not be improved in the least,—it would remain just as it was before these costly additions, whether ornamental, or useful, or both, were made to its covering only—not to the hive.

The following cut will, in some degree, represent and tacitly explain an observatory-hive, fitted up in this way.