966 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 15. 



lapping and folding of parts. The whole little 

 organism, delicate ard minute as it is, con- 

 sists properly of one tongue inside of anoth*. r, 

 and both parts — the inner and outer — are so 

 constructed that one large tube can be formed 

 around the smaller one. In Fig. 1 we have 

 the tongue as it has been dissected from the 

 head of the bee. The two large branches on 

 the side, c r, are called maxillae ; the two 

 smaller ones inside, labial palpi. These four 

 close together, the former set above the lower, 

 forming a tube through which the tongue 

 proper, a, can work back and forth. See sec- 

 tional views Fig. 2, at C, D, and E respective- 

 ly. The tongue, or ligula proper, a, Fig. 1, 

 has a very minute groove running its entire 

 length on the front, or on the top side as we 

 look at it. On either side of this minute 

 groove there is a sort of bend, or fold, which 

 makes two more ducts (see G, Fig. 2). Where 



2. — SECTIONAI, VIEW OF THE TONGUE OF A BEE. — AFTER 

 CHESHIRE. 



a minute quantity of nectar is to be gathered, 

 the central groove in the tongue will probably 

 take care of the entire amount. If there is a 

 larger amount, sufficient to fill the two side 

 ducts as well as the central groove, they will 

 all be brought into play. In such case, the 

 tongue, as it sticks out of its sheath, so to 

 speak, will be seen bent backward, sweeping 

 sidewise over the surface that contains the 

 liquid sweetness. When the bee desires to 

 gulp down a large quantity of liquid at a time 

 it makes use of the larger tube formed by the 

 maxillae and labial palpi both together. The 

 question might be raised, " Why did the all- 

 wise Creator make a proboscis for the bee so 

 complicated as this ? Why would not a single 

 tube have been sufficient ? " The tongue of a 

 bee, elaborate as it is, and as large as it seems 

 to be in the picture presented, is in reality so 

 small as scarcely to be seen by the naked eye. 

 If there were a tube running 

 the entire length through the 

 , , jr . tongue it would necessarily 



"' ^^ ^ be so minute it would fill up, 



mw as Cheshire points out, leav- 

 ing the dry honey or parti- 

 cles of pollen. Then if a bee 

 had to depend on the small 

 opening in the tube it would 

 take it a long time to store its 

 honey-sac full of nectar or 

 honey if a large quantity of 

 either were available. So 

 Dame Nature steps in and 

 provides four pseudo or false 

 tubes — one large and three 

 much smaller ones — the last 

 set inside of the other, either 

 of which may be separated 

 apart and opened out so that 

 the inside of the tubes can be 

 thoroughly cleaned; and then 

 when cleaned the parts are 

 put together in the twinkling 

 of an eye, and the process of 

 sucking up the sweet juices 

 continues. 



In Fig. 2, taken from Che- 

 shire, are shown sectional 

 views as well as longitudinal 

 views of the tongue as a 

 whole. In C, D, E, respect- 

 ively we have cross-sections 

 showing the outer and inner 

 sets of tubes ; m.x\ the max- 

 illae in connection with Ip, 

 the labial palpi, are folded 

 together in the manner as 

 shown, forming the large 

 tube, through which large 

 quantities, when available, 

 are taken. At f rf in G is 

 shown the groove I have al- 

 ready referred to, and through 

 which minute quantities are 

 drawn. At 5 i/ in G is shown 

 one of the side ducts through 

 which a still larger amount 

 may be drawn. All three of 

 these close by folding, form- 

 ing tubes. At B we have a 



