The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-08-09

collection of swords for all the various ranks in
each department of service, both army and navy,
from the Ames Company, together with rich dis
play Of fancy swords, completes this department
CONTRIBUTION FROM THE SISTER OF ROBERT BURNS
One of the greatest curosties in the American de-
parment is the pair Of stockings knit expressly for
our exhibition by the venerable sister OF Scotlands
favorite and greatest poet, Robert Burns The
stockings are of course valuable on account OF
their maker than from any merit of workmanship
which they possess. although in this last respect
they are perfect. They are enclosed in glass case
and the following inscription explains their history
and the praisewortby object which the sister Of the
poet had in knitting them :
Stockings knitted by Mrs. Begg, Of AYR, Scot
land, (sister of Robert Burns at the age Of eighty
two years, and contributed by M. NJ Keane, to
be sold after exhibition and the proceeds applied to
charitable purpose, under the direction OF James
Gordon Bennett"
AN INGENIOUS BEEHIVE.
Phelps Ohio Combination Beehive is among the
most ingenious articles on exhibition in the American
department. It is situated in the gallery near the
plows and is so arranged a Of the windows that
the bees, with which it swarms, have free egress
from it, not Of course into the building, but outside
of it; there you see them at work in the manu-
facture, with that untirng industry Of which they
have been SO appropriately chosen as the emblem.
Here one is engaged in smoothing down the interior
Of the cells while others employed in construct
ing new cells. The hive is formed of wood and
glass, and is like all really useful contrivances,
very simple. It consists Of number Of boxes, and
can be made to contain four five families of bees.
The boxes are all alike, and may be changed to any
part Of the case without difficulty An aperture is
cut in the front of each box, for the ingress and
egress of the bees spout, alighting- board, is
attached to the front of the hive of sufficient length
to reach through weather. boarding when set in o
building. The bottom is attached to the front Of
the hive by butts, and may be let down at any time
without disturbing or moving the boxes, as they
stand upon strips nailed to the case at the bottom,
against which the bottom shuts and forms a tight
joint The bottom, when closed is kept in place by
button at each end. There are ventilating open.
ings through the bottom three inches in diameter,
covered the under side with perforated tin DOORS
that may be opened and closed at pleasure. The
moth trap consists Of strip Of board, grooved or
rabbeted at the edges, to form harbor for the
moths on the bottom Of the hive; this slide trap
iscovered with tin case with openings at its lower
edge, corresponding with the grooves in the trap;
the prevents the bees from fastening it to the
floor, and admits of its being withdrawn and re-
turned without disturbing the BEES
BIG LUMP OF COAL.
One of the biggest Jumps of coal which we have
ever seen arrived at the Crystal Palace yesterday,
from the Parker coal vein. Some idea Of its i'm
mense size may be formed, when we state that its
weight is thirty thousand pounds, and it is fifteen
feet thick IL this is specimen Of the Jumps taken
from this vein, we only wish that the vein itself may
never run out.
WASHINGTON NATIONAL MONUMENT.
n CONTRIBUTIONS saI7 Il
Contributions for August 5, 1868. ...... e 81