The practice of using old honeycombs as bait or traps for these marauders is not to be commended, for their fermenting contents near the hives is in no way good, and may lead to ill, for the bees. Where snails and slugs are troublesome it is better to raise the hives at least a foot from the ground and clear away all grass and weeds in their immediate neighbourhood, sprinkling the ground with strong salt and water--or if the ground is to be fallowed, dry salt may be used. =Birds.=--For the most part birds are indirect enemies of the bees, for they injure them by injuring the buds and flowers on which they draw for nectar. Finches and sparrows are the worst offenders in this respect. A bird that often makes a direct attack on bees, however, is the blue-tit, an insect-eating bird. When the winter is severe, and insects rare, the blue-tit will venture to tackle bees. Its methods afford a curious instance of the adaptability of wild creatures to circumstances. The general proceeding is for the blue-tit to alight on the front of a hive and tap gently with its beak at the entrance. The tapping attracts the attention of the inmates, and one is usually curious enough to investigate its cause. The bird seizes it immediately, flies off with it to a convenient branch, and, holding it down with one claw, with a quick motion abstracts the sting organs. That source of danger removed, "little Billy Bluecap" proceeds to peck off the head--which he likewise discards--and to lay open the thorax, the contents of which are all that he requires. From this, it is evident that blue-tits have developed an epicurean taste with regard to bees, and, when one has acquired it, it is astonishing the number of bees it will demolish to satisfy its cravings. When hives are liable to such raids, perforated zinc, or small strips of glass, fixed on edge across the entrance will often serve to frighten the birds off. Another bird that raids directly on bees is the flycatcher, one of the migratory birds which come here for breeding purposes. Their usual swooping movement when catching insects on the wing is not practised when bees are their objective. It would seem that they avoid bees when flying. When raiding them, the bird alights at the back of the hive, and rushing under the alighting board, gathers up as many bees as he can from the ground in front of the hive. It is quite possible that flycatchers could account for many a missing virgin queen. =The Toad.=--Perhaps it is hardly right to class the toad as an enemy to the bee, seeing that the bulk of its food consists of insects that are injurious--either directly or through their larvae--to vegetable or plant life. But, inasmuch as it varies its diet with bees when they can be obtained, we have included it in this list. INDEX A