448 



FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



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animal, the tibial or in- 

 ner jaw of which is 

 well covered with quite 

 pronounced teeth. Thia 

 is used to grasjD the deli- 

 cate wax scales from the 

 pockets, where they are 

 secreted beneath the ab- 

 domen and transfer 

 them to the mouth, 

 where they are kneaded 

 into material suitable 

 for comb. 



The claws and pul- 

 villi, which terminate 

 the feet of all Hymen- 

 opterous insects, Fig. 8, 

 are specially well devel- 

 oped in bees. The form- 

 er have a strong tooth 

 and are useful not only 

 in walking on wood and other similar surfaces, but 

 also in holding the bees the one to another in case of 

 clustering. In such cases the uppermost bees have to 

 sustain hundreds of their fellows, and this often for 

 hours. There are few better examples in the whole 

 animal kingdom of what may be accomplished by 

 mere muscle. 



The pulvilli are situated between the claws. They 

 are large and glandular, and by secreting a viscid 

 adhesive material enable a bee to walk up a smooth 

 surface like that of glass. We thus understand why 

 a bee fails in its attempt to walk up a moistened or 

 powdered glass surface. When a bee walks on wood 

 the pulvilli are turned back, when on glass the claws 

 are similarly made to change their position. 



Fio. 10. 



