126 MANUAL OF ANIMAL BIOLOGY 



of the Bee's legs is typical of Insect legs in general, such as we have 

 seen in the Grasshopper. Each consists of five segments, which, 

 beginning with the one attached to the body, are named as follows : 

 coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia, and tarsus ; the last is itself 

 made up of five parts, the first of which is known as the basitarsus. 

 The coxa and trochanter are comparatively small and lie close to 

 the body; the femur, tibia and tarsus, therefore, comprise the 

 major portion of the leg. 



Prothoracic Legs. The femur and tibia are covered with charac- 

 teristic long branched hairs, a few of which may also be found on 

 the coxa and trochanter. These hairs aid in gathering pollen. On 

 the outer surface of the tibia, just above where it joins with the 

 tarsus, is a stiff brush of curved bristles, known as the pollen 

 brush, which is used to brush the loose pollen grains. Attached 

 near by, to the inner side of the tibia, is a flattened, movable, spine- 

 like structure, the velum, which somewhat resembles in shape the 

 blade of an old-fashioned razor. The velum joins with a crescent- 

 shaped indentation, known as the antenna comb, on the inner 

 side of the first joint of the tarsus, which contains a number of 

 toothed structures as in a comb. The velum and the antenna comb 

 form the antenna cleaner. The antennae, held in place by the 

 velum, can be drawn through the curved antenna combs and 

 cleaned in this way. On the outer edge of the large first joint of 

 the tarsus, there is a fringe of stiff bristles which project a con- 

 siderable distance beyond the surface of the leg. These bristles 

 constitute the eye brush. The latter is used to brush the hairs 

 which project in considerable numbers from the surface of the 

 large compound eyes, and thus dislodge any foreign particles that 

 may be lying among them. The next three joints of the tarsus are 

 small and similar in structure, but the last joint is so fashioned as 

 to enable the animal to cling to various types of surfaces. On this 

 joint of the tarsus there is a pair of bilobed claws which bear tactile 

 hairs. Between the claws is a comparatively large, fleshy struc- 

 ture, known as the pulvillus. This organ is glandular, and 

 from it a sticky liquid is secreted which enables the animal to cling 

 to a smooth surface. (W. fs. 216, 217.) 



Mesothoracic Legs. On the distal end of the tibia, near the union 

 with the tarsus, there is a long pointed spine, the pollen spur. It 

 occupies about the same position as does the velum on the pro- 

 thoracic leg. This structure is used to dislodge the pellets of 



