14 MONTANA EXPERIMENT STATION 



lined with setae or bristle-like hairs, and leading into a tube entering 

 into the center of the chyle stomach or stomach proper. The func- 

 tions of this passage as faithfully worked out by Professor Cheshire, 

 are three ; first, it enables the bee to pass on for digestion and assimi- 

 lation honey and the pollen grains usually to be found in flower 

 nectar; second, to deposite this food, especially the pollen grains, 

 in the midst of the digestive fluids to so prevent any clogging; 

 and third, it enables the bee to allow honey, with its contained pollen 

 grains, to pass into the tube and return again through the hairs of the 

 passage way, straining out the pollen grains, which pass into the 

 stomach and are used by the bee for food. This can be accomplish- 

 ed by the bee while flying from flower to flower, gathering its 

 sweets, so that when ready to return to the hive with its load, the 

 pollen has all been removed and the honey is ready to be deposited 

 in its cells, free from pollen, which might cause it to ferment. The 

 stomach proper is provided with the usual glands necessary for the 

 digestive function. The intestine is provided with a series of 

 chitinous teeth, thus giving the structure the nature of a gizzard. 



There remain a few words to be said relative to the important 

 sets of glands located in and near the head. One pair of the glands 

 is found trained about the optic ganglion and empties into ducts 

 leading to the mouth, where the final duct empties. In the back of 

 the head is a second pair of glands, and in the fore part of the 

 thorax a third pair, these two sets emptying into the groove in the 

 proboscis when the latter is extended for sucking purposes. To 

 these glands there is ascribed digestive functions among which 

 is changing the cane sugar of the flower nectar into the grape sugar 

 of honey. The first set of glands is found largely developed in 

 the young workers and not present at all in the best queens and 

 in the drones. The function of feeding the young larva in its 

 early stages is assigned to the first pair of glands. 



As in other animals, the reproductive organs of the male bee 

 consist of a pair of tests located in the abdomen. Here the sper- 

 matozoa are developed and passed through the tubes leading out- 

 ward to the vasa deferentia, which unite, forming the ejaculatory 

 duct. Just before the entrance into the ejaculatory duct there is an 

 enlargement of the vas deferens into a well defined seminal sack or 

 resting place for the spermatozoa. Here the latter are kept free 

 and alive by the addition of mucus from connecting glands. Pass- 



