VARIETIES AND PECULIARITIES OF BEES, 1231 



eggs. How this happens is not certainly known, but the probability is 

 that they may hcwc been partially fed with the food used ia producing 

 queens. This is the opinion of Burlepsch, and Langstroth, but the opin- 

 ion of Huber is, that, reared near royal cells, they received the same food 

 accidentally. They do not differ from the ordinary worker except in the 

 power of laying eggs as stated. The number of workers in a hive will 

 range from 1,500 to 4,000, and even more ; about 3,500 should be con- 

 tained in every strong colony of bees. 



The worker bees are peculiarly constituted for the work ; the tongue, 

 labial jj(7ij9?' and jaws are long, and the tongue hairy, enabling them easily 

 to lap up their li(juid food. When filled, the tongue is doubled back, and 

 disengaged of its load by the inclosing paljji and jaws, and the load is 

 sucked into the honey bag. The bees have, also, the power of injecting 

 the contents of the honey bag for feeding bees, or for fiUing the honey 

 cells. The jaws are strong, with semi-conical cutting edges, so they 

 may cut comb, knead wax, and perform the other work intended by 

 nature. Their eyes are like those of the queen, but the wings are longer 

 and, like those of the drones, reach the end of the body whan at rest. 

 The three cuts on pagel228will show the differences perfectly. 



On the outside of the posterior limbs next the body, is a rim of hairs, 

 forming what is called the pollen basket. The pollen is gathered by the 

 organs of the mouth, and carried back by the four anterior legs. On the 

 anterior legs is a notch covered by a spur ; its use is not well known. The 

 sting of the worker is strong, sharp and straight, unlike that of the queen, 

 which is curved. The gland which secretes the poison is double, and the 

 poison sack is the size of a flax seed. The sting is triple, and armed with 

 barbs. Hence the sting is not easily withdrawn when once fully inserted, 

 and hence the bee so stinging loses its life, since the sting and a portion 

 of the alimentary canal are left in any tenacious substance it may pene- 

 trate, as t^e skin of the hand for instance, 



vm. Varieties of Honey. 



Natural honey is the fluid nectar of f.owers. It undergoes slight modi- 

 fications in the honey bag of the bees, and is somewhat changed chemically, 

 but retains the flavor, and to a certain extent, the aroma of the flowers 

 from which it is gathered. Hence, certain districts noted for special 

 plants, and aromatic flowers, produce highly prized honey, while other 

 districts produce unwholesome honey from the noxious or poisonous flow- 

 ers. Thus in ancient times, the honey gathered in the district of Mount 

 Ida was famous for its excellence, while that of Trebizond w;is abhorred. 



Honey contains grape sugar, manna, gum, mucilage, extractive matter, 

 the odor of the flowers from which it was taken, and a little wax, pollen 



