We are under many obligations for the advice and assistance that we have on many occasions received from Mr. T. W. Woodbury, of Exeter, whose apiarian skill is unrivalled in this country. Our acknowledgments are also due to Mr. Henry Taylor, author of an excellent "Bee-Keeper's Manual," for his help and counsel during the earlier years of our apiarian experience. Both the before-mentioned gentlemen have freely communicated to us their contrivances and suggestions, without thought of fee or reward for them. In common with most recent writers on bee-culture, we are necessarily largely indebted to the standard works of Huber and succeeding apiarians. From the more recent volume of the Rev. L. L. Langstroth we have also obtained useful information. But having ourselves of later years had considerable experience in the manipulation and practical management of bees, we are enabled to confirm or qualify the statement of others, as well as to summarize information gleaned from many various sources. We should state that our thanks are due to Mr. W. Martin Wood, who has rendered us valuable aid in the arrangement of this work. Let it be understood that we have no _patented devices_ to push: we are free to choose out of the many apiarian contrivances that have been offered of late years, and we feel perfectly at liberty to praise or blame as our experience warrants us in doing. It does not follow that we necessarily disparage hives which are not described herein; we have sought, as much as possible, to indicate the _principles_ on which _good hives_ must be constructed, whatever their outward size or shape. All through the work, we have endeavoured to adopt the golden rule of "submission to nature," by reference to which all the fancied difficulties of bee-keeping may be easily overcome. In none of the attempts of men to hold sway over natural objects, is the truth of Bacon's leading doctrine more beautifully illustrated than in the power that the apiarian exercises in the little world of bees. There are one or two literary peculiarities of this work to which we ought to refer. It will be noticed that the numbers affixed to the names of the various hives and utensils do not follow in regular order. Those numbers refer to our Illustrated Catalogue, with which most English apiarians have long been familiar, and we could not alter them without great inconvenience. Some persons may consider we have used too many poetical quotations in a book dealing wholly with matters of fact. We trust, however, that an examination of the extracts will at once remove that feeling of objection.