326 



FOUNDATIONS OF BIOLOGY 



branched FEATHERY HAIRS which aid in gathering pollen 

 when the Bee visits flowers: the tibia, near its junction with 



the tarsus, bears a group 

 of stiff bristles (POLLEN 

 BRUSH) which is used to 

 brush together the pol- 

 len grains that have 

 been dislodged by the 

 hairs of the upper leg- 

 segments. On the oppo- 

 site side of the leg is a 

 composite structure, the 



ANTENNA CLEANER, 



formed by a movable 

 plate-like process 

 (VELUM) of the tibia 

 which fits over a circu- 

 lar notch in the upper 

 end of the tarsus. The 

 notch is provided with 

 a series of bristles which 

 form the teeth of the 

 antenna COMB. The 

 antennae, or 'feelers/ 

 which are important sense organs of the head, are cleaned 

 by being placed in the toothed notch and, after the velum 

 is closed down, drawn between the bristles and the edge 

 of the velum. On the anterior face of the first segment 

 of the tarsus is a series of bristles (EYE BRUSH) which is used 

 to remove pollen and other particles adhering to the hairs on 

 the head about the large compound eyes and interfering with 

 their operation. 



The terminal segment of the tarsus of each leg is provided 



FIG. 176. Heatl ot a worker Honey Bee. 

 a, antenna; b, bouton; g, epipharynx; I, hypo- 

 pharynx; lp, labial palpus; m, mandible; mx, 

 maxilla ; mxp, maxillary palpus. (After Cheshire.) 



