38 BRITISH BEES. 



end of its tongue about, and lengthens and shortens it 

 successively, and, indeed, withdraws it from moment to 

 moment. We then observe it not merely lengthen and 

 shorten this end, but it is also seen to curve it about, 

 causing from time to time the superior surface to become 

 concave, to give, as it were, to the liquid with which 

 it is loaded a downward inclination towards the head. 

 In fact, this portion of the trunk appears to act as a 

 tongue, and not as a pump. Indeed its extremity, 

 where the aperture for receiving the liquid is assumed 

 to be, is repeatedly above the surface of the liquid which 

 the insect is lapping. 



By these continuous motions this anterior extremity 

 of the tongue charges itself with the nectareous fluid, 

 and conveys it to the mouth. It is along the upper 

 surface of this pilose tongue that the liquid passes. 

 The bee strives especially to load and cover it with 

 honey. In shortening the tongue to the extent, some- 

 times, of withdrawing it entirely beneath its sheaths, it 

 conveys and deposits the liquid with which it is charged 

 within a sort of channel, formed by the upper surface of 

 the tongue and the sheaths which fold over it. Thus, 

 these sheaths are, perhaps, less for the purpose of covering 

 the tongue than to form and cover the channel by which 

 the liquid is conveyed to the mouth. I have previously 

 remarked that the trunk can swell and contract ; these 

 ( swellings and constrictions are observed to succeed each 

 other, and may be for the purpose of urging the liquid, 

 already in transit beneath the sheaths, forward towards 

 the true mouth. Further, I moved the sheaths aside 

 from their position above the tongue of a bee which I 

 held in my fingers, and I succeeded, by means of the 

 point of a pin, in placing an extremely small drop of 



