GENERAL HISTORY OF BEES. 37 



In repose, the posterior part of the trunk lies along 

 the lower part of the mouth, and the anterior part is 

 folded back upon it, when it is covered by the maxillae, 

 which then seem to form a portion of it. It has further 

 another interior envelope ; these are the two first joints 

 of the labial palpi (in the Apida), which are entirely 

 membranous, and these in repose cling closely to the 

 tongue laterally. 



The bee would certainly not collect its honey diffe- 

 rently from a flower than it would from a glass wherein 

 it might be placed to observe the process ; and here it 

 never appeared to obtain the honey by suction. The bee 

 was never observed to place the end of its tongue in the 

 drop of syrup, as it would necessarily do if it were requi- 

 site to imbibe it through what seems the small aperture at 

 the extremity of the knob, at the end of the tongue, pre- 

 viously described. As soon as the bee finds itself near 

 the spot spread with honey or syrup, it extends its 

 tongue a line or so beyond the end of the palpi, which 

 continue to envelope it throughout the rest of its 

 length. If the honey be spread over the glass, the an- 

 terior portion of the tongue, which is exposed, is turned 

 round that its superior surface may be applied to the 

 glass. There this portion does precisely what the 

 tongue of any animal would do in lapping a liquid. 

 This tongue repeatedly rubs the glass, and, moving 

 about with astonishing rapidity, it makes hundreds of 

 different inflexions. 



If the drop of syrup presented to the bee be thicker, or 

 if it meet with a drop of honey, it then thrusts the ante- 

 rior portion of its tongue into the liquid, but apparently 

 only to use it as a dog might do its tongue in lapping milk 

 or water. Even in the drop of honey the bee bends the 



