Social Tnsects. 



17 



similar structures possessed by other species of social bees, such 

 as the Melipona? aud Bouibi, and still more remotely from such 

 as are possessed by tiie solitary bees. Here again I trust to dia- 

 grams, and relegate detailed exposition to a note. (See Note 

 3 and Figs. 1 and 2.) 



In the production of wax the Hive Bee exhibits a lavishness 

 not found in any of the wild bees, not excepting the species of 

 Ti'igoiia and Melipona, which approach it most neai'ly in social 

 economy. As a result we hud that the wax-secreting organs of 

 Apis are much larger than in any other wax-producing bees. In 

 Bombus they are greatly reduced and otherwise different in struc- 

 ture, iTsembling, however, very closely, those obtaining in Meli- 

 pona and Trigona. In the solitary bees, which produce no wax, 

 these specialized structures are entirely wanting. (See Note 4.) 

 But the most interesting fact is that in the queen bee, in which 

 they are functionless, they are nevertheless present, but more 

 nearly resemble the same structures in Melipona. 



Fig. 4. — Architecture of bees ; i, cell of bumble-bee ; 2, eud of same show iig 

 eggs ; 3, Xylocopa virgiuica, the carpenter bee ; 5, cells of same ; 6, larva of bee parsi e, 

 Anthrax sinuosa ; 7, pupa of Anthrax ; 12, cells of mason bee, Osiiua lignivura — mtural 

 size. (After Packard.) 



