INSECT FERTILIZATION OF FLOWERS. 



601 



(Fig. 12). The task of collecting and storing honey is performed ex- 

 clusively by the neuters (workers). The humble-bees do not fall far 

 short of the honey-bees in the assiduity with which they frequent 

 flowers, and they surpass the latter in size and in length of proboscis. 

 Our most common species are the earth humble-bee (Bombus terres- 

 tris, Fig. 15), the garden humble-bee (Bombus hortorum), the moss-bee 

 (Bombus muscorwn), and the stone-bee (Bombus lapidarius). Very 



Fig. 12. 



Fig. 13. Fig. 14. Fig. 15. 



Hymenoptera.'FiQ. 12. Honey-bee (Apis mellifica), queen, natural size. Fig. 13. Hairy-bee 

 (Anthaphora retusa). Fig. 14. Eabth-bee (Andrena Schrankella). Fig. 15. Humble-bee 

 (Bombus terrestris). 



similar to the humble-bees in appearance and structure are the hairy- 

 bees, one of which is shown in Fig. 13. They are readily distin- 

 guished, however, as we shall presently see, by the formation of the 

 hind-legs. In Fig. 14 we have a sand-bee (Andrena Schrankella, a 

 species representing one of the largest genera), which may be seen in 

 early spring on catkins and other spring flowers. 



We have already said that, over and above their high intelligence, 

 bees are remarkable for having certain parts of their body specially 

 modified in connection with the acquiring of honey and pollen. We 

 must therefore further consider the structures concerned in effecting 

 this end, viz., the suctorial apparatus and the apparatus for collecting 

 pollen. 



The suctorial apparatus is in most bees developed in very great 

 perfection. In many (Figs. 13-15) the proboscis is of considerable 



Fig. 16. Head of Anthophoba Retusa ; ten times enlarged. I, side view ; n, top view. B, 

 tongue ; K, maxilloe : T, labial palpi ; 0, mandibles ; T, antenna; ; A, eyes. 



length, in some cases being as long as the body. It consists (Fig. 16) 

 of the long vermiform tongue (R) (as in the butterflies), the upper 



