22 PHYSIOLOGY OF THE HONEY-BEE. 



fluid. This fluid is saliva, which is demanded in larger quanti- 

 ties than the poor bees can supply. They are able, however, to 

 yield it in surprising volume, which also explains how it is that 

 these little marvels can so well clean themselves from the sticky 

 body honey. The saliva is to them both soap and water, and 

 the tongue and surrounding parts, after any amount of daub- 

 ing, will soon shine with the lustre of a mirror." — (Cheshire.) 



49. The length of the tongue of the honey-bee is of great 

 importance to bee-keepers. Some flowers, such as red clover, 

 have a corolla so deep, that few bees are able to gather the 

 houej^ produced in them. Therefore, one of the chief aims of 

 progressive bee-keepers, should be to raise bees with longer 

 tongues. This can undoubtedly be done sooner or later, by 

 careful selection, in the same way that all our domestic plants 

 and animals have been improved in the past. For this, patience 

 and time are requii-ed. 



50. The thorax is the intermediate part of the body. It 

 is also called "corselet." It is formed of three rings soldered 

 into one. Each of the three rings bears one pair of legs, on 

 its under side; and each of the last two rings bears a pair 

 of wings, on its upper side; making four wings and six legs, 

 all fastened on the thorax. 



51. Each leg is composed of nine joints (B, Plate 8), the 

 two nearest the body (c, tr) being short. The next three 

 are the femur (/), tibia {ti), and planta {p) also called meta- 

 tarsus. The last four joints form the tarsus (0 or foot. 



52. The last joint of the tarsus, or tip of the foot, is pro- 

 vided -with two claws {an, fig. 13), that cling to objects or 

 to the surfaces on which the bee climbs. These claws can be 

 folded, somewhat like those of a cat (A, fig. 13), or can be 

 turned upwards (B, fig. 13) when the bees are hanging in 

 clusters. When they walk on a polished surface, like the pane 

 of a window, which the claws cannot grasp, the latter are 

 folded down; but there is between them a small inibber-like 

 pocket, pulvillus {pv, A, B,) which secretes a sticky, "clammy" 

 substance, that enables the bee to cling to the smoothest sur- 

 faces. House-flies and other insects cling to walls and win- 



