30 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



[August, 



feet tube, nor does it woi'k with a telescope 

 motion, strictly speaking. It is a complex 

 instrument, being composed of three distinct 

 parts, of which the sheath forms one. These 

 three parts join near the edges, and form a tube 

 which, viewed sectionally, has the shape of a 

 triangle, the angles being rounded off. 



The sheath, near its point, is narrow, but 

 grows wider towards its base, where it gradually 

 embraces the remaining pai'ts, thereby keeping 

 them in place in their working. Near each edge 



Bee sting magnified. 



In this position of the sting- the barbs 

 are not seen. 



of the inner or hollow side of the sheath, runs a 

 ridge which fits a corresponding groove in each 

 of the other parts. Near its point, which is 

 rounded rather bhmtly, it is armed with two 

 feeble sets of barbs, numbering as inany as four 

 ill each set. The base of the sting or sheath is 

 large, being broad and somewhat flattened, with 

 ail oblong hollow, which constitutes a receptacle 

 ti/r the poison just previous to injection in the 

 wound. 



The other two x^arts constitute the sting proper, 



and in a sectional view are semicircular, the 

 upper edges being thicker than the lower ones, 

 and squared to each other, one of the edges 

 having a projection extending along the under 

 or inner portion of it, thereby forming a rabbet 

 along which the opposite part freely moves. The 

 under or inner edge of each of these parts tapers 

 down to extreme thinness, while near the tir- 

 minationof theedge, there runs a minute groove 

 which corresponds with the ridge mentioned in 

 the descrii^tion of the sheath, and along which 



i ',11',' 



If 



siliii',':' 

 ftii'i'; 



Poiut of Bee sting highly magnified. 



the parts move freely. Each of these parts 

 proper tapers down to an exceedingly fine point. 

 Near the point begin the barbs, which in some 

 stings number as many as ten, extending along 

 the sting nearly one-half its length, and are well 

 defined. 



The parts are of a horny consistency, of a deep 

 red color, and transparent, they are also hollow 

 along the gTcater portion of their length, intended 

 perliaps to combine lightness and strength. 



Tlie two chief parts at the base of. the sting 



