THE HONEY-BEE. 37 



of air-vessels, pervading every part of the body, and 

 serving the purpose of lungs. The rushing of the 

 air through them against the wings, while in motion, 

 is supposed to he the cause of the humming sound 

 made by the Bees. 



To the lower part of the trunk are attached three 

 pair of LEGS. The anterior pair, which are most effi- 

 cient instruments, serving to the insect the same pur- 

 pose as the arms and hands to man, are the shortest, 

 and the posterior pair the longest. In each of these 

 limbs there are several articulations or joints, of 

 which three are larger than the others, serving to 

 connect the thigh, the leg or pallet, and the foot or 

 tarsus ; the others are situated chiefly in the tarsus. 

 (Plate II. Fig. 2,, a. the haunch, b. the thigh, c. the 

 tibia or pallet, containing on the opposite side, as 

 represented at Fig. 4 a., the basket or cavity ; d } e. 

 the foot.) In each of the hinder limbs, one of 

 which is represented in Plate II. Fig. 2, there is 

 an admirable provision made for enabling the Bee 

 to carry to its hive an important part of its stores, 

 and which neither the queen nor the male possess, 

 ^eing exempted from that labour, viz. a small trian- 

 gular cavity of a spoon-like shape, the exterior of 

 which is smooth and glossy, while its inner surface 

 is lined with strong close-set hairs. This cavity forms 

 a, kind of basket, destined to receive the pollen of 

 flowers, one of the ingredients composing the food of 

 the young. It receives also the propolis, a viscous 

 substance, by which the combs are attached to the 

 roof and walls of the hive, and by which any open- 

 ings are stopped that might admit vermin or the cold. 



