96 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO iS/S. 



and when it can be taken whole out of the body, it contracts itself into the 

 shape of a half moon, and appears of the colour of a tortoise-shell, as also does 

 the sting itself. OP is the body fastened to the sting, and placed in the thicker 

 part of the case DC A (in %. 7), viz. S about A, and T towards D. — In fig. 10, 

 abc are both the stings, as they lie together before, close against the sheath ; 

 yet is one of them a little higher than the other : and forasmuch as at a there is 

 yet seen a little of the sheath, here both the stings seem to be one, furnished 

 on both sides with barbs. — In fig. 1 1, edgf h are both the stings, in part out 

 of their. sheath ; yet the sting edh stands a little higher out of the case than the 

 sting gf h. Thus they are found to lie in their sheath, when they are at rest. — 

 In fig. 12, two stings, standing also a little out of the sheath. As to the mo- 

 tion of these stings, I conceive it to be thus made : first the bee draws her 

 sheath with its stings out of the body, and endeavours to thrust it as far as she 

 can into the body she would sting, together with one of the stings, which at 

 that time she draws out of the case : which sting, when she is drawing back 

 again, but it not being able, by reason of the barbs to return, she pulls the 

 sheath and the other sting deeper into the body. Now it is that she uses her 

 other sting, which she then thrusts also into the body as deep as she can, and 

 then endeavours to pull that back also ; by which pulling back she thrusts her 

 sheath and first sting yet deeper into the body : and this she continues so long 

 till she gets both the stings and the sheath as far as to the thick part of the 

 sheath, into the body ; which done, the stings need no more motion out of 

 the sheath, when the body of the sting (in fig. 9,) OTP in the thickness of 

 the sheath CD A (in fig. 7,) can move from C to D. 



And so much for the stings of the bee. Let us now see how our observer 

 explains his figures representing the several members he has taken notice of 

 about the head of a bee ; which were also briefly mentioned in the aforesaid 

 js^® 94. — See then fig. 13, where LDABC is one of the two small limbs, which 

 the bee has on the forepart of her head, and which he calls arms, wherewith he 

 judges she makes her honey-combs, each furnished with three peculiar joints, 

 as at D, A, B. — In fig. 14, EF is one of the two small Hmbs, which the bee 

 has likewise on the forepart of her head, by him called scrapers, by the help of 

 which, he conceives, she scrapes the wax from flowers. — In fig. 15, GH is the 

 small limb, which is also placed before on her head, and is by him called the 

 wiper, wherewith he conjectures she wipes off the honey from the flowers. — 

 Fig. 16, IK represents the scraper of a wild bee, which he exhibits here with 

 the rest, because it is of a different make from the scraper of a tame bee^ above 

 in fig. 14. 



