444 



FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



Fig. 3. 



extended, and the whole back of the blade and the extended point thickly 

 set with short spines, reminding; one of the serrations on the antennse of 

 many beetles like the Buprestids. In the Carpenter-bees Xylocopa there is 

 no variation from the type of the bombus except the serrated margin of the 

 blade is still more marked. In the female of the tailor-bees — Megachile — 

 the extended point and serrations are both absent, and we have again the 

 form of this organ in the honey-bee. Tne number of the teeth in the cavity 

 hoTvever, is less, there being from forty-five to fifty. In Osmia and Andrena 

 (Fig. 3.) the arrangement is much as in the Xylocope; in Nomada the 

 serrations are less spinous and more scattered, 

 while in the beautiful species of Angochlora the 

 cavity is quite shallow, the blade of the spur 

 narrow, and the spines on the back and point of 

 the blade slim and hair like. 



In the several families of wasps we find this 

 pollen cleaner well developed, and in some cases 

 quite modified from the same in bees. In the 

 paper-making wasps — Vespidse, it is much as in the lowest bees — Nomada 

 and Angochlora. The cavity is more shallow than in the honey-bee, the mem- 

 branous portion of the blade is quite narrow, and the appendages on the 

 point of the blade are hair-like, though those near the base remind one of 

 saw teeth. 



In eand-wasps — Bembecidre — this organ is much as seen in bees and paper- 

 making wasps; though the point of the blade is very long, and the back and 

 point both thickly set with fine hairs. 



^>^^r.,.'i^--.-^'>>--'-.^m!^ In all species of mud wasps, belonging to the family 

 ?: ' -S^fe Sphegidse, Fig. 4, we find an interesting modification 



-3-^ . ' in the spur. Here the membranous portion of the 



^«?-^ , ._ ^ blade is nearly obsolete, while its inner margin is con- 



cave and fringed with a toothed brush much as seen in 

 the cavity, though the teeth are shorter. The end of 

 the blade is blunt, and bears from five to eight heavy appendages, which, 

 when magniGed, look like so many fingers. 



In the beautiful mud wasps of the family Pompilidae, this apparatus is much 

 as in the Sphegidfe, except that the cavity is more shallow. The fringe on 

 the spur is peculiarly fine and beautiful. The spur is pointed, the point 

 being flat and margined on both sides with spines. 



In the Mutillidffi this organ is specially well shotvn. The type is that^of 

 the bees and Vespidre, as the blade is membranous and without the frino-e. 

 The back and both sides of the point, however, are covered with a row of 

 si^inous hairs. 



In the ants — Formicidse — Fig. 5, the cavity is shallow 

 and the fringe well-marked in the cavity and on the 

 spur where it is double, and while this brush is beautiful 

 it is not widely different from the hairs on the point of 

 the blade, and on the remaining part of the basal tarsus. Fig. 5. 



In Ichneumonidse, Fig. 6, and Braconidse we find this antenna cleaner 



Fig. 4. 



