The frames must now be gently prised from front to rear; this may be done with a small screw-driver or other stout instrument with a wedged end to go into the notches. The frames fit loosely so as to allow of a little movement from back to front; a lateral or side-way movement might kill the queen, or, if not so fatal as that, might crush some of the bees and injure the brood combs, which must be carefully avoided. Of course, much depends upon the nature of the operation that has to be performed, whether or no all the frames should be thus loosened. If it be for making artificial swarms, or for any purpose requiring an interview with her majesty, the whole of them must be loosened, because it often happens that all the combs have to be examined, sometimes twice over, before she can be discovered. Bees are very apt to build their combs in a slightly waving form, and in extracting one it will be needful to make room both for the comb and bees upon it to pass without scraping the next comb, and there will be a difficulty if the apiarian attempts to draw out one comb whilst the other frames are located in their appropriate notches. Let the operator gently proceed to lift, say, the third frame (allowing it to lodge on the little block that divides the notches) slightly nearer to the fourth frame, and the second nearer the third, so as to admit of sufficient space to lift out the end one. Very carefully and slowly he should lift the frame by taking hold, with thumb and finger, of the projecting shoulders that rest in the notch; and he must not let it touch or scrape the next frame or the sides of the hive, so as to crush or irritate any bees. After the end comb is thus removed, it will be easy to extract the others, as there will now be plenty of room for drawing them out. A hive of exactly the same size should be at hand; and in case it be desired to remove the combs and bees into another hive, care should be taken that each comb occupies the same relative position that it did in the old hive. In handling the frames, it should be borne in mind that they are to be held perpendicularly. To gain a view of both sides of the comb when searching for the queen, or for any purpose requiring full inspection, with a little dexterity in twirling the frame round, the reverse side may be brought to face the operator, without letting the comb break away by its own weight, and so fall out of the frame, which it will do if allowed to deviate from its upright or downright position. If the operator could see an experienced person perform the operation, he would quickly understand how combs may thus be handled without any risk of a smash.