286 PHYSIOLOGY. 



the case of a wasp will not be for many hours), 

 the whole apparatus may, with care, be extracted. 

 " Upon examining the edge of a very keen 

 razor by the microscope, it appeared as broad as 

 the back of a pretty thick knife, rough, uneven, 

 and full of notches and furrows, and so far from any 

 thing like sharpness, that an instrument as blunt 

 as this seemed to be, would not serve even to 

 cleave wood*." "An exceedingly small needle 

 being also examined, the point thereof appeared 

 above a quarter of an inch in breadth ; not round, 

 nor flat, but irregular and unequal ; and the sur- 

 face, though extremely smooth and bright to the 

 naked eye, seemed full of ruggedness, holes, and 

 scratches. In short it resembled an iron bar out 

 of a smith's forgef ." But the sting of a bee, 

 viewed through the same instrument, showed 

 every where a polish most amazingly beautiful, 

 without the least flaw, blemish, or inequality ; and 

 ended in a point too fine to be discovered : yet 

 this is only the case or sheath of instruments much 

 more exquisite, contained therein, as before de- 

 scribed. 



THE POISON OF BEES. 



The poison of bees, as also that of wasps, is a 

 transparent fluid : applied to the tongue it im- 



* Hook's Microcosm. 



f Philosophical Transactions. 



