A theatre of politicall flying-insects. Wherein especially the nature, the worth, the work, the wonder, and the manner of right-ordering of the bee, is discovered and described / Together with discourses, historical, and observations physical concerning them. And in a second part are annexed meditations, and observations theological and moral, in three centuries upon that subject. By Samuel Purchase.

Samuel Purchas

Date:: 1657

Credit: A theatre of politicall flying-insects. Wherein especially the nature, the worth, the work, the wonder, and the manner of right-ordering of the bee, is discovered and described / Together with discourses, historical, and observations physical concerning them. And in a second part are annexed meditations, and observations theological and moral, in three centuries upon that subject. By Samuel Purchase. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$butt* them noshing* and the gteateft froft in Winter (fuppofitjg them coveted above, and alfo well dope below) damnifies them nothing. Nay, I have found experimentally that in a row of Hives Handing on the North fide of a long Barn, whofe height hath intercepted the Suns beams all the Winter, lefs provifion (alcnoft by half) hath fetved thole Hives than would have fer- ved others Hand ng alwayes open to the Sun, for coming leldome forth they did cat little, andyetinthe Spring were as forward to work, andtofwarm, asthofethat had twice as much hony (otherwife alike) in the Autumn before. r > tf«l Some Bees will bee late at their work after Sun*fet, and if when they return they finde it dark about the hive , they mud lye abroad, if not altogether petift). Let the door therefore bee lomewhatto the Weft, ,I Lee your Bee-garden bee well fenced from Cattel, and,as well as may bee defended from winds , efpccially let them be fecured from the Weft and South-weft winds, which are with us mod conftant in the Summer. The time of Bees labouring, Virgil thus preferibes, Fir ft for your Hives a fitting ftathn find _ --,9 Sbeitred from Kinds rough violence, for Wind ] binders tbeir carriage 'i % Vj# 4\ g ■ , ^ y J Mr. Butler would have them defended from the rifing Sun, becaufe it invites them to work when the aire is chilly and cold, Suppofe there were fuch an inconvenience, which yet 1 never found, yet where there were many hives, a fenfc on the Eaft fide could not defend many if any at all. And if they ftandon benches with backs or walls bebinde them , and a Pcnthoufe over them, they will bee at work in a fair day two or three hours before the Sun can fhine upon them, j And for fwarms,u is beft to uncover them on the firff fbinin® of the Sun upon them the day after they are fet up (till they know thut ftaJon ) that they may bee allured forth by the heat thereof, yet when the Sun fhines hot at noon, let them bee fleightly covered. 1 Columella preferibes that the hives ft and with their mouths fomewhac to the Eaft, that the Sun may feme on them in the morn*$

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