"Thus filtered through your flutterer's folded mail Clings the cooled wax, and hardens to a scale. Swift at the well-known call, the ready train (For not a buzz boon Nature breathes in vain) Spring to each falling flake, and bear along Their glossy burdens to the builder throng. These, with sharp sickle, or with sharper tooth, Pare each excrescence and each angle smooth, Till now, in finish'd pride, two radiant rows Of snow-white cells _one mutual base_ disclose; Six shining panels gird each polish'd round, The door's fine rim, with waxen fillet bound, _While walls so thin, with sister walls combined, Weak in themselves, a sure dependance find._ * * * * * Others in firm phalanx ply their twinkling feet, Stretch out the ductile mass, and form the street. With many a cross-way, path, and postern gate, That shorten to their range the spreading state." [Illustration] [Illustration] MANIPULATION AND USES OF BAR AND FRAME HIVES. Having, at page 84, given a description of the mechanical arrangements of bar and frame hives, the next thing is, to describe the mode of introducing the bees, and of thus bringing the humane and scientific hives into operation. The swarm should be first hived into a common straw hive from the bough or shrub upon which they may have alighted; place this hive, into which we will suppose the bees have been shaken, on the ground, propped up on one side with a brick or a flower-pot, or anything of the sort that may be handy, in order that straggler-bees may join the swarm. The spot selected for this should be as shady an one as can be found, near to the place where the swarm settled; or it may be shaded from the rays of the sun by fixing matting on two poles, so as to prevent the heat falling on the hive; spread a sheet or cloth on the ground where an even surface can be obtained; stake this sheet down at the four corners, to prevent ruts and inequalities, which are great hindrances to the bees going into the bar and frame hive; place the latter upon the sheet, without its floor-board, having its front raised on blocks or sticks rather more than an inch,--not more, otherwise the bees will cluster, and attach themselves to the lower part of the frames, instead of going up between. These preparations will, perhaps, occupy ten minutes, by which time the swarm will have become settled and tolerably quiet. Then, with a sharp rap, precipitate the bees out of the straw hive on to the sheet immediately in front of the frame hive; give the straw hive another knock, so as to dislodge all the bees, and then take it quite away, otherwise they may, if it be left near, perversely choose to go into that, instead of the one desired. In some cases, as when the swarm has to be brought from a distance and procured from a cottager about whose skill in carrying