THE HONEYBEE AND BEES IN GENERAL 235 



THE HEAD AND ITS APPENDAGES (Fig. 129). The segments 

 comprising the head can only be distinguished with any degree of 

 accuracy in the embryo, and even there their number is not 

 certainly established. There are probably six. A large part of 

 the head is occupied by the compound eyes, one on either side. 

 These differ in size in queen, worker, and drone, but are promi- 

 nent in all; they will be described in detail, later. Besides these 

 there are three simple eyes, the ocelli, arranged in a triangle al- 

 most directly on top of the head in the queen and worker, and in 

 front just above the antennae in the drone. Projecting from the 

 front of the head are two feelers or antenna (Fig. 129, a) which 

 serve as organs of special sense. 



The MOUTH PARTS consist of a labrum or upper lip, the epipharynx 

 (Fig. 129, g), a pair of mandibles (m), two maxillae (mx), and a 

 labium or under lip (I, lp.). The labrum is joined to a dome- 

 shaped part of the skull, called the clypeus, which lies just above it. 

 From beneath the labrum projects the fleshy epipharynx (g); 

 this is an organ of taste. The mandibles, or jaws, are situated 

 one on either side of the labrum; they are notched in the queen 

 and drone, but smooth in the worker. The latter makes use of 

 them in building honeycomb. The labium is a complicated 

 median structure extending downward from beneath the labrum. 

 It is joined to the back of the head by a triangular piece, the sub- 

 mentum. Next to this is a chitinous, muscle-filled piece, the 

 mentum, beyond which is the ligula, or tongue (/) , with one labial 

 palpus (lp.) on each side. The ligula may be drawn in or extended. 

 It is long and flexible, with a spoon or bouton (b) at the end. Hairs 

 of various kinds are arranged upon it in regular rows; these are 

 used for gathering nectar, and as organs of touch and taste. 



The maxillce (Fig. 129, mx.), or lower jaws, fit over the mentum 

 on either side. Along their front edges are rows of stiff hairs. 

 Maxillary palpi (mxp.) are also present. Nectar is collected in 

 the following manner. The maxillae and the labial palpi form a 

 tube in the center of whrch the tongue moves backward and for- 

 ward. When the epipharynx is lowered, a passage is completed 



