28 INSECTS 



antenna-cleaner is a little notch on the inner side of the 

 basal joint of the front tarsus, set with fine teeth and 

 closed by a spur from the end of the fore tibia. When 

 the bee desires to comb out the vestiture of one of the 

 feelers, the fore leg is brought up, the notch is hooked 

 over the stem at base, the spur is brought to the lock, 

 and at a single sweep the entire series of joints is brought 

 into condition. It is all very simple and very neat, 

 and could not 'be better adapted for its purpose if 

 designed by man himself. The mouth structures which 

 are also kept in condition with this apparatus merit a 

 little further attention. 



I have already alluded to "long-tongued" bees and 

 this has carried with it the suggestion that there was a 

 difference in that respect. As a matter of fact there is 

 every intermediate form between the tongue of the 

 bumble-bee, more than half as long as the insect itself, 

 and the little digger bee, whose labium or lower lip does 

 not extend beyond the edge of the moutii. It is not 

 always easy for the novice to recognize to which division 

 a bee under observation belongs, because the long tongue 

 is usually hinged, and may be drawn back against the 

 breast in such a way as to be protected from danger of 

 injury. When fully extended the mouth has, laterally, 

 a pair of very well-developed mandibles, which usually 

 serve more as tools in building homes than as organs 

 for securing food. Between these mandibles, and com- 

 pletely separated from them, is a pair of sheath-like 

 structures which are generally pointed at the tip. These 

 are the maxillae, which are not of much active use, 

 though they are the organs by means of which ripe 

 grapes and other fruits are occasionally punctured 

 when normal supplies are scarce. In the very centre is 

 the flexible tongue itself, ringed in structure, with series 

 of hairs round about it, and a little button of hair at the 



