14 



BEHAVIOR OF HONEY BEE IN POLLEN COLLECTING. 



ACTION OF THE MIDDLE LEGS. 



The middle legs are used to collect the pollen gathered by the 

 forelegs and moiithparts, to remove free pollen from the thoracic 

 region, and to transport their load of pollen to the hind legs, placing 

 most of it upon the pollen combs of these legs, although a slight 

 amount is directly added to the pollen masses in the corbicula?. Most 

 of the pollen of the middle legs is gathered upon the conspicuous 

 brushes of the first tarsal segments or planta? of these legs. 



In taking pollen from a foreleg the middle leg of the same side is ex- 

 tended in a forward direction and is either grasped by the flexed fore- 

 leg or rubbed over the foreleg as it is bent downward and backward. 

 In the former movement the foreleg flexes sharply upon itself until 



Fig. 5. — A flying bee, showing the manner in which the forelegs and middle legs manipu- 

 late pollen. The forelegs are removing wet pollen from the mouthparts and face. The 

 middle leg of the right side is transferring the pollen upon its brush to th(> pollen 

 combs of the left hind planta. A small amount of pollen has already been placed in 

 the baskets. (Original.) 



the tarsal brush and coxa nearh^ meet. The collecting brush of the 

 iniddle leg is now thrust in between the tarsus and coxa of the fore- 

 leg and wipes oif some of the pollen from the foreleg brush. The 

 middle leg brush is then raised and combs down over the flexed fore- 

 leg, thus removing additional pollen from the outer surface of this 

 leg. The middle leg also at times reaches far forward, stroking down 

 over the foreleg before it is entirely flexed and apparently combing 

 over with its tarsal brush the face and mouthparts themselves. 

 "When the middle leg reaches forward to execute any of the above 

 movements the direction of the stroke is outward, forward, and then 

 back toward the body, the action ending with the brush of the leg in 

 contact with the long hairs of the breast and with those which spring 



