162 



PSrCHE. 



I Febnian— March 1889. 



side. In both the male and female on 

 each side near the base of the epipharvnx, 

 is a group of about 20-25 taste-cups, 

 each giving rise to a short hair. There 

 ai'e also scattered taste-cups near a point 

 corresponding to the end of the labrum. 

 On the upper side of the free edge of the 

 epipharynx, there are scattered taste- 

 cups, varying in size, and like those 

 already mentioned, though some of them 

 are without perceptible hairs. 



At the end of the epipharynx in the 

 female are several gustatory pegs or 

 rods ; but in the male examined thev 

 seemed to be more numerous, there 

 being a group of two short stout ones 

 in the middle, one on each side of the 

 median line of the body ; and a group of 

 four larger ones on each side of the cen- 

 tral pair. 



On the under side of the epipharvnx 

 there is a striking variety of hairs, differ- 

 ing much in character and variously 

 grouped. Around the edge of the an- 

 terior di\ision of the organ, there is a 

 single row of very long, rather stout 

 setae, apparently tactile, possibly both 

 tactile and defensive. The edge, how- 

 ever, of the basal division of the epi- 

 pharynx, is thickly fringed with long 

 slender hair-like setae, flattened and tri- 

 angular at the base. Three of the setae 

 are larger than the others and spiiuilose. 

 The greater part of the organ is free 

 from hairs, there being only two groups 

 near the middle of fine slender liairs 

 which are flattened and broad at the 

 base ; these, like those fringing the 

 edge of the basal division, in shape 

 resemble the "y-atherino" hairs of the 



bee's proboscis, and are evidently for 

 the purpose of collecting and amassing 

 moisture, whether the saliva or the li- 

 quids entering the mouth, or both, we 

 cannot say. These delicate gathering 

 hairs, /. c, those which are very slender 

 and flexible and arising from a flat- 

 tened triangular base, as we have seen 

 in Vespa niactilata and Nematus erich- 

 sonii\ line the pharynx, above and be- 

 neath, though of varying sizes and mode 

 of grouping. Indeed, the epipharynx 

 is simply a continuation and outgrowth 

 of the roof of the mouth. The exact 

 function of these hairs remains to be 

 determined. They seem to be, so to 

 speak, colossal chitinous cilia, serving at 

 times to retain the saliva or liquid food 

 in certain places, and in others to facili- 

 tate the passage of the food do^yn the 

 throat. 



The labrum-epipharynx of Borens 

 californic7is is quite diflbrent in shape 

 from that of Panoi'pa ; it is a little 

 longer than l)road. not dorsally separ- 

 ated b}- a distinct transverse suture from 

 the clypeus, though laterally separated 

 by a distinct notch. The labrum itself 

 is not longer than broad, and not exca- 

 vated in front, but on the contrary some- 

 what produced, extending into the base of 

 the parepipharynx. Near the base at each 

 side is a dark cliitinous triangular thick- 

 ening of the shape of a mandible, bu^ 

 not dentate at the end. Between the 

 base of these mandible-like thickenings 

 is a group of four taste-cups, protected 

 on the inside by three defensive setae. 

 On each side of the median line of the 

 lal)rum, and extending back under wliat 



