178 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



honey cells. The liquid enters the crop as nectar ; it 

 comes out honey — by what process is a secret, even to 

 the bee !" 



"I don't quite understand that," said Harry. 



" Then let me try to illustrate." I took from the table 

 a drop tube or pipette, such as is commonly used by 

 apothecaries and microscopists. It is simply a glass 

 tube narrowed at one end and inserted into an india- 

 rubber bulb. Pressing the bulb between finger and 

 thumb, I plunged the tip into a tumbler of water, which 

 as the pressure was removed rushed in and filled the 

 pipe. "Observe now what happens," I said, holding 

 aloft the charged pipette ; " when I press upon this bulb 

 every movement of my thumb find finger forces a drop 

 of the liquid to gather at the nozzle of the pipette and 

 finally to drip away. Do you understand how that 

 happens, Hari'y ?" 



"Yes, sir, I think I do," rejoined the lad. "Wen 

 you sqeezes agin' the rubber bulb it presses on the air 

 inside, and that pushes agin the water in the pipe and 

 forces it out of the nozzle." 



"That's quite plain ; is it ?" 



"Yes, sir ; quite." 



" Very well, then ; let us suppose that this nozzle is 

 the bee's mouth ; this glass tube the bee's oesophagus, 

 through which the nectar passes into this rubber bulb, 

 which we will call, if you please, the honey -crop. Now 

 our bee has a full crop and wants to get it emptied into 

 the honey-ccU. All she has to do is to squeeze the crop 

 tightly enough." 



