VOL. LXXXII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 183 



On the termination of the 2d part is placed the true tongue, having 2 lateral 

 portions or processes, on each side, one within the other: the external is the 

 largest, and is somewhat similar to the before-mentioned scales. This is com- 

 posed of 4 parts, or rather of one large part, on which 3 smaller are articu- 

 lated, having motion on themselves. The first, on which the others stand, is 

 articulated at the edges of the tongue, on the basis, or termination of the last 

 described part of the tongue : this has hairs on its edge. A little farther for- 

 wards on the edges of the tongue are '2 small thin processes, so small as hardly 

 to be seen with the naked eye. The middle part of all, of which these lateral 

 parts are only appendages, is the true tongue. It is something longer than any 

 of the before-mentioned lateral portions ; and is not horny, as the other parts 

 are, but what may be called fleshy, being soft and pliable. It is composed of 

 short sections, which probably are so many short muscles, as in fish ; for they 

 are capable of moving it in all directions. The tongue itself is extremely vil- 

 lous, having some very long villi at the point, which act, I conceive, somewhat 

 like capillary tubes. This whole apparatus can be folded up, into a very small 

 compass, under the head and neck. The larynx falls back into the neck, which 

 brings the extreme end of the first portion of the tongue within the upper lip, 

 or behind the 2 teeth ; then the whole of the 2d part, which consists of 5 parts, 

 is bent down on and under this first part, and the last 2 scales are also bent down 

 over the whole ; so that the true tongue is inclosed laterally by the two 2d horny 

 scales, and over the whole lie the first 2. 



The oesophagus, in all of this tribe of insects, begins just at the root of the 

 tongue, as in other animals, covered anteriorly by a horny scale, which termi- 

 nates the head, and which may be called the upper lip, or the roof of the 

 mouth. It passes down through the neck and thorax, and when got into the 

 abdomen, it immediately dilates into a fine transparent bag, which is the imme- 

 diate receiver of whatever is swallowed. From this the food, whatever it be, is 

 either carried farther on into the stomach, to be digested, or is regurgitated for 

 other purposes. To ascertain this in some degree, in living bees, I caught them 

 going out early in the morning, and found this bag quite empty : some time after 

 I caught others returning home, and found the bag quite full of honey, and 

 some of it had got into the stomach. Now I suppose that which was in the 

 craw, was for the purpose of regurgitation ; and as probably they had fasted 

 during the night, part had gone on farther for digestion. Whatever time the 

 contents of this reservoir may be retained, we never find them altered, so as to 

 give the idea of digestion having taken place : it is pure honey. From this bag 

 the contents can be moved either way ; either downwards to the stomach, for the 

 immediate use of the animal itself; or back again, to be thrown out as store for 

 future aliment. 



