122 EVENINGS AT THE MICROSCOPE. 



It is the outer or hinder edge of the joint that carries the 

 comparatively straight spines. These receive the grains 

 from the combs, which, then falling into the basket, are 

 received into the wide concavity formed partly by its 

 bottom and sides, but principally by the arching spines of 

 the opposite edge. Their curving form would have been 

 less suitable than the straighter one to pass through the 

 interstices of the combs, because it would be much more 

 difficult to get at their points ; while, on the other hand, 

 the straight lines of these would have been far less effec- 

 tive as a receiver of the burden. The thickness of the 

 spines is just that which enables them to pass freely 

 through the interstices of the comb-teeth, and no more. 



On the whole, this combination of contrivances reads us 

 as instructive a lesson on the wisdom of God displayed 

 in creation as any that we have had brought under our 

 observation. 



The end to be attained by all this apparatus is worthy 

 of the wondrous skill displayed in its contrivance ; for it 

 is connected with the feeding of the stock, and whatever 

 diminishes the labour of the individual bees, enables a 

 larger number to be supported. But valuable as is the 

 Honey-bee to man, there are other important purposes to 

 be accomplished, which are more or less dependent, colla- 

 terally, on this series of contrivances. 



" In many instances it is only by the bees travelling 

 from flower to flower that the pollen and farina is carried 

 from the male to the female flowers, without which they 

 could not fructify. One species of bee would not be suffi- 

 cient to fructify all the various sorts of flowers, were the 

 bees of that species ever so numerous ; for it requires 

 species of different sizes and different construction. M. 

 Sprengel found that not only are insects indispensable in 

 fructifying different species of Iris, but some of them, as 

 I. Xiphium, require the agency of the larger humble-bees, 

 which alone are strong enough to force their way beneath 



