THE BRITISH HIVE BEE. 299 



occupied with the care of the larvae, and the foraging bees, 

 which are older workers, and gather the food to supply the 

 whole colony. 



In considering the relation between the life of the Hive 

 Bee and that of many allied forms (Bombus, &c.), it is 

 important to notice that the habit of laying up stores of 

 food material for the winter, enables the colony, and not 

 merely an individual, to survive, and must thus have greatly 

 assisted in the evolution of sociality. 



The body shows the usual division into head, thorax, 

 and abdomen, and varies considerably in the three different 

 types, being smallest in the workers. It is entirely covered 

 with hairs, some of which are sensitive, while others are 

 used in pollen gathering, &c. 



The head bears antennae, which are composed of a long 

 basal and numerous smaller joints. They are marvellously 

 sensitive, serving to communicate impressions, and also con- 

 taining organs of special sense. A pair of compound eyes, 

 largest in the drones, and three median ocelli are also 

 present in the head region. Of the true appendages of the 

 head, the mandibles are in the workers very powerful and 

 used for many purposes connected with comb building. In 

 the first maxillae, the maxillary palps are aborted, but internal 

 lacinia, external galea, and basal stipes and cardo are present 

 as usual. The second pair of maxillae are much modified 

 to form the labium or so-called lower lip. The united 

 basal joints form the mentum and sub-mentum. From the 

 mentum at either side springs the long labial palp, which 

 represents the outer fork of the typical appendage. The 

 inner fork is divided into two parts at each side, of these 

 the inner (laciniae) are united and much elongated, the two 

 outer or paraglossae are free and closely apposed to the 

 laciniae; the whole structure is known as the ligula. When the 

 bee is engaged in sucking honey from a flower, the maxillae 

 and labial palps are closely apposed to the ligula, and thus 

 an air-tight tube is formed. When not in use, the whole 

 structure is folded back upon itself. 



In the queen and in the drone the mouth parts are 

 shorter, and are not used in honey gathering. 



The thoracic appendages consist as usual of three pairs 

 of legs, which have the usual parts. On the first leg, at 



