364 INTRODUCTION TO ZOOLOGY CHAP. 



year only two kinds of adult individuals can be found in 

 the hive, the thousands of "workers" and the one "queen," 

 though through the summer months several hundred males 

 or drones are also present. 



The queen (Fig. 287) is considerably larger, but 

 The Queen. , , \ , \ ' f i t- - - A 



has relatively shorter wings and a longer abdomen, 



than the workers. She is the sole mother of the hive, and 

 remains constantly within it, tended and fed by her workers, 

 and laying eggs in the cells prepared by them. She, like 

 them, has a sting, but will use it only against another queen. 

 Each worker bee has the structure shown in 



Fi S' 287 ' The head ' " thorax >" aild g aster ("ab- 

 domen ") are distinct ; the gaster being separated 



from the " thorax " by a narrow, short petiole, or waist, which 

 is obscured by the hairy front margin of the gaster. 



The head bears two large compound eyes, each 

 with over 6000 facets in it (for structure see 

 Figs. 140 and 141); also there are three simple eyes on 

 the centre of the forehead ; the latter are probably used for 

 examining objects close by, whilst the compound eyes have 

 wide, long vision. 



In front of the head project the bent antennae, each very 

 freely movable, with a long joint next the head, and an 

 eleven-jointed tip projecting at an angle 

 to this (Fig. 288). 



These antennae seem undoubtedly 

 to be the organs of communication be- 

 tween bee and bee. The bees, when 

 they meet, constantly cross antennae, and 

 >rnn< *-' stroke each other with them, or some- 

 FIG. 288. Head of Honey times with a swift, agitated movement 

 ta ? a. comrade, apparently to attract 

 attention. On each side of the mouth 

 is placed one of the hard jaws or mandibles, of which much 

 use is made when forming the waxen cells of the comb (see 

 p. 3^1). The characteristic proboscis will only be seen when 

 it is actively in use in obtaining food, or when the head of 

 the Bee is viewed from the side ; for when at rest, it is bent 

 back and lies in a groove on the under side of the head 

 (Fig. 290, t). The upper lip (labrum) is small, and the man- 

 dibles are quite apart from the proboscis, which is formed 



