286 STRUCTURE FORM. 



and the community, or hive, contains three kinds, 

 namely, the queen, or mother-bee, the drone, and the 

 working-bee. 



In examining the STRUCTURE of the common work- 

 ing-bee, says Bufibn, the first remarkable part that 

 offers is the trunk (proboscis) which serves to extract 

 the honey from flowers. It is not formed like that 

 of other flies, in the manner of a tube, through which 

 the fluid is to be sucked up ; but like a besom to 

 sweep, or tongue to lick it up. The insect is also 

 furnished with teeth, enabling it to work upon the 

 materials collected, the pollen and. farina of flowers, 

 from an elaboration of which in the stomach of the 

 bee, are to be derived both the honey and wax. In 

 the thighs of the hinder legs are found two cavities, 

 fringed with hair, and into these, as into a basket, 

 the bee deposits the pellets it has collected. Thus 

 employed, it flies from flower to flower, increasing its 

 stores, until the pellet or ball upon each thigh ac- 

 quires the size of a grain of pepper; when having 

 obtained a sufficient load, it returns homewards, 

 making the best way to the hive. 



The BELLY of the bee is divided into six rings, 

 which, by slipping one over the other, shorten the 

 dimensions of the body. Pliny held that the body 

 of the bee is furnished with pores, through which the 

 animal breathes, and to this opinion, Lisle, the agri- 

 cultural writer, has assented. The contents of the 

 insect's belly, besides the common intestines, are the 

 honey-bag, the venom-bag, and the sting. The 

 honey-bag is transparent as crystal, containing the 



