GENEKAL HISTORY OF BEES. 35 



As it exhibits an agreeable instance of the persevering 

 industry and unblenching patience with which he made 

 his researches, I will give a summary of what he says, 

 for his bulky volumes, although teeming with delightful 

 instruction, pleasantly narrated, will necessarily not be 

 in every entomologist's hand, and where not, not even 

 always readily accessible. His observations were made 

 upon the honey-bee, but we may attribute the same 

 mode of collecting to all the rest. He says : When 

 this tongue is not lapping the nectar of flowers but in a 

 state of perfect repose it is flattened. It is then at 

 least three times broader than thick, but its edges are 

 rounded. It gradually narrows from its base to its ex- 

 tremity. It terminates in a slight inflation, almost 

 cylindrical, at the end of which there is a little knob, 

 which appears perforated in the centre. From the cir- 

 cumference of this knob tolerably long hairs radiate, 

 and the upper side of the tongue is also entirely covered 

 with hairs. The basal and widest portion above seems 

 striated transversely with minute lines closely approach- 

 ing each other. 



The upper side of the anterior portion of the tongue 

 seems of a cartilaginous substance, but the under side of 

 the same part appears cartilaginous only over a portion 

 of its width. The centre is throughout its whole course 

 more transparent than the rest, and seems membranous 

 and folded. It is only necessary to press the posterior 

 portion of this trunk, whilst holding its anterior part 

 closely to a light, towards which its upper surface must 

 be turned, and then upon examining its inner surface with 

 a lens of high power, a drop of liquid may be soon ob- 

 served at its foremost portion. By continuing to press 

 it this drop is urged forward, and as it passes every 



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