MANIPULATION OF WAX SCALES OF THE HONEY BEE. 9 



removal is such as to make it impossible for the pincerslike crevice 

 to grasp the scale. Moreover, the open jaws of the shears point lat- 

 terally and away from the scales rather than toward them, nor, 

 indeed, is it possible for the shears to grasp even the projecting edges 

 of any of the ventral or lateral body plates and thus steady or guide 

 the leg as it seeks contact with the scales. 



The transverse rows of spines upon the planta, called pollen combs, 

 and not the wax shears are instrumental in the removal of scales. 

 Snodgrass (1910), in discussing the anatomy of the hind leg and 

 its functions, states that the Avax is " poked out of " the " pockets 

 by means of the spines on the feet " — " with the ordinary hairs or 

 spines of the tibioe or tarsi," and the same general conclusions were 

 reached independently by the writer, but with this exception; only 

 the spines of the first tarsal segment (planta) function in this 

 manner, and usually only certain large spines in the rows at the dis- 

 tal end of this segment. 



It is exceedingly difficult to capture a bee at the very moment at 

 which the scale is being drawn from its pocket and before it has been 

 carried to the mouth, and even if this is accomplished the captive is 

 very likely to drop the scale from the hind leg in its struggles to 

 escape. If, however, one is successful, the scale-removing leg will 

 show the little wax scale adhering to the distal end of the inner 

 surface of the first tarsal segment, being pierced in several places 

 by the strong spines which project from the lower rows of the pollen 

 combs. (See fig. 7.) 



It can also be shown experimentally that this method of remov- 

 ing the wax scales is entirely possible, for if the hind tarsus of a bee 

 is mounted upon a small stick and is gently rubbed along the ventral 

 side of a fully extended dead bee's abdomen, holding it in such a 

 position that the pollen combs brush over the projecting edges of the 

 scales, one of the scales will probably be removed and will be seen 

 adhering to the spines in the manner above described. 



In any hive where comb is being constructed rapidly many free 

 scales will be found upon the bottom board and upon the lower bars 

 of the frames. If these scales are examined microscopically some 

 will be found without marks upon them, having evidently been 

 loosened from their pockets accidentally during the movements of 

 the workers over the comb and around the hive. Others will show 

 certain marks and scratches upon them, indicating that they were 

 voluntarily removed from the pockets, and in some cases they may 

 bear the marks of the mandibles, showing that they were dropped 

 during the process of mastication. Most of the scales which are 

 marked at all are indented with several small punctures showing the 

 places where the spines of the pollen combs have pierced them. 

 These scars are exactly similar in appearance to those on the scale 



