166 THE MICROSCOPE. Nov. 



taining the weapons enters the flesh, a drop of poison 

 passes down the hollow of the sheath into the wonnd 

 causing instant death to the victim. In the queen the 

 sting is curved and is also used as an ovipositor. 



The Digestive System. From the mouth tlie food 

 passes through the gullet (flg. 19, d) into the honey 

 stomach (fig. 19, f). The part intended for honey is reg- 

 urgetated and deposited in the honey cells, while that 

 used for nourishment passes into the second stomach (fig. 

 19, g), where it is masticated by the gastric teeth (fig. 

 21). It then passes into the intestine. About the mid- 

 dle of the intestine are the biliary tubes, which corres- 

 pond to the liver in animals, and these pour out their 

 contents upon the food in its passage through the in- 

 testines. 



The Respiratory System. — The bee breathes through 

 spiracles which are little holes pierced in the external 

 surface and connecting with the internal respiratory 

 organs by little tubes or trachae. The spiracles consist 

 of two elongated apertures, one behind the other (fig. 20). 

 The outer one is provided with a number of short hairs 

 to keep out foreign substances. There are two pairs of 

 these in the thorax and one pair in each segment of the 

 abdomen. Through these the air is admitted to the air 

 sacs (fig. 17, s) which communicate with one another by 

 large trachse (fig. 17, t). The abdomen being the heaviest 

 it is provided with two large sacs, one on either side, 

 from these extend traclia? to the other parts of the ab- 

 domen. The thorax being provided with wings has no 

 air sacs but a large tracha?, which divides into two as it 

 traverses the thorax. It connects the large air sacs of 

 the abdomen with the smaller ones in the head, which 

 are relatively large on account of the weight of the com- 

 pound eyes. Thus the equilibrium is maintained 

 throughout the w^hole body. The queen, whose abdomen 

 is larger and heavier than that of the worker, but who 



