OR, MANUAI, OF THE APIARY. 145 



membrane which extends on still further. Schiemenz believes 

 that this is a valve, and certainly unless drawn by the strong 

 muscles in the walls out of the stomach as Schonfeld believes, 

 it would act as a most efficient valve. If this does act as a 

 perfect valve, then of course the nurse-bees can never feed the 

 larvas or queen any digested food from the true stomach. This 

 is Schiemenz's view. Pastor Schonfeld, however, still holds, 

 and seems to have proved, that while this may serve as a 

 valve it is under the control of the bee, and may be so drawn 

 up by the very muscular honey-stomach as to permit regurgi- 

 tation (Fig. 64). In this regurgitation of chyle, the stomach- 

 mouth closely approximates the stomach end of the cesopha- 

 gus (Fig. 64, B) ; and so the chyle does not pass into the 

 honey-stomach. This prolongation then is a valve under the 

 control of the bee, and is another wonderful structure in this 

 highly organized insect. 



The true stomach (Fig. 61, c, s) is curved upon itself, and 

 is .4 of an inch long and .1 of an inch in diameter. It is 

 rugose, and the circular wrinkles or constrictions are quite 

 regular. It is richly covered within by secreting cells (Fig. 

 62, s, c). The mucous membrane is folded, and hence there 

 are very numerous gastric cells. Undoubtedly the function of 

 the gastric juice is the same as in our own stomachs, it aids 

 to liquify or render osmotic — capable of being absorbed — the 

 albuminous food, in this case the pollen. This view is con- 

 firmed by the fact that we almost always find pollen in all 

 stages of digestion in the true stomach of the bee. We may 

 not wonder at the varied source of this digestive secretion ; 

 these gastric cells, the lower head-glands, and possibly Wolff's 

 glands. Where among animals is such thorough digestive 

 work accomplished ? Emptying into the pyloric or posterior 

 end of the stomach (Fig. 61, bt) are numerous tubules, the 

 Malpighian tubules. These are the urinary organs, and re- 

 move waste elements from the blood. They are really the 

 bee's kidneys. Like our own kidneys, they are nothing more 

 than tubules lined with excreting cells. The small intestine 

 is often called ileum (Fig. 61, li). This portion of the diges- 

 tive tube is lined with very minute, sharp chitinous teeth, 

 which Schiemenz believes are used to further masticate the 



