ON THE ANATOMY OF 



The hairs with which the basket is lined, are designed 

 to retain firmly the materials with which the thigh is 

 loaded. The three pair of legs are all furnished, 

 particularly at the joints, with thick-set hairs, form- 

 ing brushes, some of them round, some flattened, 

 and which serve the purpose of sweeping off the 

 farina. There is yet another remark ahle peculiarity 

 in this third pair of limbs. The junction of the pallet 

 and tarsus is effected in such a manner as to form, 

 by the curved shape of the corresponding parts, " a 

 pair of real pincers. A row of shelly teeth, (PL II. Fig. 

 3 a,) like those of a comb, proceed from the lower edge 

 of the pallet, corresponding to bundles of very strong 

 hairs, with which the neighbouring portion of the 

 brush is provided. When the two edges of the pin- 

 cers meet that is, the under edge of the pallet, and 

 the upper edge of the brush, the hairs of each are 

 incorporated together."* The extremities of the six 

 feet or tarsi, terminate each in two hooks, with their 

 points opposed to each other, by means of which the 

 Bees fix themselves to the roof of the hive, and to 

 one another, when suspended, as they often are, in 

 the form of curtains, inverted cones, festoons, lad- 

 ders, &c. From the middle of these hooks proceeds 

 a little thin appendix, which, when not in use, lies 

 folded double through its whole breadth ; when in 

 action it enables the insect to sustain its body in 

 opposition to the force of gravity, and thereby adhere 

 to, and walk freely and securely upon glass and 

 other slippery substances, with its feet upwards. 



* Huber's Observations on Bees, p. 351. 



