84 A HALF-HOUR WITH THE 



placed the mandibles ; above these, and longer, are 

 the maxilloB, and on each side of the prolonged 

 central organ, called the tongue, are placed the labial 

 palpi. The tongue can be retracted between the 

 palpi a& into a sheath. It is marked by a series of 

 annular divisions, and, by a high power,^ will be 

 seen to be covered over with hairs. This is the 

 organ by means of which the bee " gathers honey 

 all the day." 



Whilst examining the bee, its sting may be 

 taken out and placed under a low power, when it 

 will be found to present the appearance of a pair 

 of spears set with recurved barbs, which run part 

 of the way down one side of each half of the sting. 

 This is seen in the 7th plate, figure 200. Each of 

 these spears is grooved on the opposite side, the 

 two, when united, forming a canal, down which are 

 poured the contents of the poison-bag, producing 

 the painful effects of wounds from these instru- 

 ments. 



To return to the head and mouth of insects : — 

 The tongue of the bee may now be compared with 

 the same organ in the butterflies, which in them 

 assumes the form of a proboscis, and is called the 

 haustellum, seen at figure 203, plate 7. This 

 instrument is coiled up when the insect is at rest, 

 and is the organ by means of which the creature 

 sucks up its nutriment from the flower. It has a 

 series of lines running across it. 



If the head of the common blowfly be now 

 examined, it will be seen that the tongue, instead 

 of being elongated as in the latter instances, is 

 expanded laterally. This is represented in figure 

 202, plate 7. It is a very beautiful object, and 

 when viewed by transmitted light, a series of spiral 

 bands are observed to wind across each half of the 

 tongue. 



