FERTILIZATION IN THE HONEY-BEE 243 
The fibers forming the valve that partially closes off the anterior 
from the basal or posterior portion of the gland (/) may be derived 
from a thickening of the circular layer around the end of the 
vas deferens. ‘To form the valve these fibers protrude into the 
lumen of the gland anterior to the vas deferens and furnish 
posterior to it additional material for thickening the muscle mass 
about the end of the ejaculatory duct. 
Contraction of the muscles encircling this region would close 
off the basal pocket in the gland by compressing the valve (I) 
against the opposite wall; contraction of the muscles extending 
along the base of the gland would collapse the flat pocket (7) 
cut off by this valve. In this manner the aperture of the vas 
deferens would be forced against the blind end of the ejaculatory 
duct, as the anatomical relations of these parts, previously 
described, indicates to be possible (p. 239; pl. 1, E, and pl. 3, 
fig. 10). 
One more modification of the shape of the gland requires 
explanation. The vas deferens enters the mature gland on the 
median side; just anterior to its entrance the gland bends at 
an angle of 45° to meet the ejaculatory duct, so that its basal 
tip points ventrally and medially toward the tip of the other 
gland (text figs. 1 and 3). Thus the tips of the two glands come 
to point toward each other; in fact, are joined superficially. 
Anterior and dorsal to the entrance of the vas deferens and to 
the valve, the lateral portion of the gland’s lumen protrudes out 
to form the elbow or bend (text fig. 1, m). This valve, which 
guards the aperture of the vas deferens, forms the posterior 
boundary of the protruded portion, and the muscle fibers of the 
gland’s wall are carried out around the lumen (text fig. 3, y’-2’). 
This protrusion of the gland’s wall thus causes a distortion of the 
muscle layers somewhat in the same manner as does the pro- 
trusion toward the end of the ejaculatory duct on the ventral 
side. 
A cross-section of the gland just at this angle would show as 
a result of these changes a tripolar arrangement (pl. 1, figs. 1 
and 2). At one pole is the entrance to the vas deferens (h), at 
a second, the base of the gland envelops the end of the ejac- 
