Immediately adjoining the group of untenanted bee-hives may be observed living hives with the bees most industriously at work. These useful little creatures have been highly honoured by the Executive Committee, for of all the animal workers that contribute to the interest of the Exhibition they alone are allowed therein to display their matchless ingenuity and skill. By a simple contrivance the bees are allowed egress and ingress without in the least degree molesting the visitors, thus enabling the admirers of the works of nature to view the whole process of forming the cells and depositing the honey therein.
Within these few days Messrs. Neighbour have added to the Apiary, a bee-hive constructed entirely of glass, protected by a cover neatly made of straw, but so contrived, that on application to the attendant can be removed instantly, thus illustrating more particularly the curious workmanship of these amusing insects.
Her Majesty the Queen, and the Prince Consort, with the Royal Children, were some time engaged in watching with deep interest the busy scene before them, and putting many questions relating to the habits and economy of the honey bee.
INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION 1861.
From the "Illustrated London News," August 16, 1862.
One of the most interesting and instructive objects in the Exhibition, is a transparent hive, in which the bees may be seen at full work. Among the collection of bee-hives exhibited by Messrs. Neighbour and Son, is one of glass, stocked with a colony of Italian Alp bees. Here the queen bee may be seen surrounded by her subjects, which pay the most deferential attention to their sovereign. Through an aperture cut in the wall, the busy throng of bees are continually passing and repassing. They go out at their pleasure into the open court, fly over the annexe into the grounds of the Horticultural Society and other adjacent gardens, and return laden with sweets.
From the "Journal of Horticulture" October 21, 1862.
Neighbour, G. & Sons, 149, Regent Street, and 127, Holborn, No. 2157, have a very handsome and complete stall, on ascending the steps of which we found a flourishing stock of Ligurians, apparently not at all ashamed of the public position which they occupied, and working vigorously in the full light of day. The queen, one of the largest and finest-coloured we have met with, was perambulating the combs and receiving the homage of her subjects, stopping frequently to deposit an egg in every empty cell. The hive itself was a "Woodbury Unicomb," handsomely got up in mahogany, invented as its name implies, by our valued correspondent. "A Devonshire Bee-keeper," the construction of which will be most readily understood by an inspection of the engraving at [page 46]. Its distinctive features are, the adaptation of the moveable-bar system to unicomb-hives, by which any colony in an apiary of "Woodbury-hives" can be placed in the unicomb-hive in a few minutes, and the use of "outside Venetians," or "sun blinds." as they are called, instead of the usual impervious shutters. By this contrivance light is never excluded, so that when the hive is open for inspection, all its inmates continue their avocation with their accustomed regularity, and a quiet and orderly scene is presented to the spectator, instead of the hubbub and confusion which ensues in ordinary unicomb-hives. On the left-hand side of the unicomb hangs a beautifully executed drawing of a Ligurian queen bee magnified, together with the queen worker and drone of Apis Ligustica, of the natural size. Immediately under the drawing is placed a square glass super containing nearly 40 lbs. of the finest honey-comb. On the right of the unicomb-hive is another super of the same description, containing nearly 30 lbs. of the purest honey. These supers are, undoubtedly, by far the finest in the Exhibition, and are the first worked in England by Ligurian bees, being from the apiary of "A Devonshire Bee-keeper." In addition to these the most striking objects, are shown Neighbour's Improved Single Box and Cottage Hives, Taylor's Bar-Hives, Woodbury Frame and Bar-hives, the new Bottle-feeder, and bee apparatus of every description. It will be apparent from the foregoing, that Messrs. Neighbour's stall is well worth inspection, although the various novelties it contains appear to have met with but scant appreciation by the Jury, who merely awarded to them that "honourable mention" so lavishly accorded to the far less deserving objects.
From the "Illustrated News of the World" September 6, 1862.
One of the most interesting and instructive objects is the honey bee at full work in transparent hives. In the International Exhibition, Class 9, Eastern Annexe, Messrs. Neighbour and Son, of Holborn and Regent-street, exhibit, amongst a collection of the most approved bee-hives and apparatus, a glass hive, stocked with a colony of Italian Alp bees; the hive is so constructed as to admit of easily seeing the queen, surrounded by the working bees. Contrary to the long established notion that the bees work only in the dark this hive is completely open to broad daylight. The bees do not manifest the least dislike to the exposure, and they are not discomfited when light is occasionally admitted for inspecting them. It is obvious that a knowledge of this new feature must tend to a more general acquaintance with the habits and hidden mysteries of the bee than has hitherto been the case. The queen may be seen depositing the eggs in the cells; in this manner she goes on multiplying the species, the working bees surrounding her, and paying the most deferential attention, with their heads always towards her. Not the least interesting part is to watch the entrance; facility is afforded for doing so, the sunken way communicating with the hive being covered with a flat piece of glass; the busy throng, pass and repass through the aperture cut in the wall, so that the bees go out at their pleasure into the open court, fly over the Annexe into the Horticultural and other adjacent gardens, and return laden with crystal sweets gathered from the flowers. The novelty of being able to inspect living bees, and those of a new variety, as easily as goods in a shop window, will well repay the trouble of finding Messrs. Neighbour's stand. These gentlemen will no doubt cheerfully give any information that may be required.