THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



105 



of extreme fineness, the hairs of which, arranged in symmet- 

 rical rows, are only to be seen with the microscope ; with 

 tliis brush, of fairy deli- 

 cacy, the bee continually 

 brushes her velvet robe to 

 remove the pollen dust with 

 which it becomes loaded 



t ., . , . . n . ., ,, 49. Brush and Pincers of the Common Bee. 



whilst she is rifling the flow- 

 ers and sucking up the nectar. Another article, which is 

 hollowed like a spoon, receives all the gleanings which the 

 insect carries to the hive ; it is a basket for provisions. Fi- 

 nally, by opening them one upon another, by means of a 

 hinge, those two pieces become a pair of pincers, which ren- 

 der important service in the construction of the combs, and 



50. Bee seen from below with its Ventral Segments of Wax. 



it is with them that the bee lays hold of the semicircles of 

 wax below its abdomen, and carries them to its mouth. 



In some aquatic insects each foot is transformed into a 

 delicate oar, as is seen in the Dytiscus, in which it is flat- 

 tened out and bordered with cilia or delicate hairs, so that 

 a larger surface may strike the water. Others, like the 



