40 



SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 6s 



not to be dissolved, it is first probably examined by the maxillae and 

 labial palpi before being seized by the mandibles. Ey means of the 

 many sense hairs covering the mandibles, these appendages are able 

 at any moment to perceive the size, shape and firmness of the food ; 

 and when the food particles are sufficiently small to be swallowed, 

 they are placed upon the dorsal side of the mentum (fig. 7, Mt). 

 While watching a bee eat, it is easily observed by using a pair of 

 binoculars that the mentum (fig. 10, Mt) may be moved in three 

 directions. The forward and backward movement is most noticeable. 

 The second movement is up and down and the third is a sidewise 



A 



Fig. 9. — Superficial appearances of the innervated hairs (a, d~, bz, cs to C10) 

 on the epipharynx, labrum, pharyngeal plate and cervical plate, and of the 

 olfactory pores (Por) on the cervical plate of worker honey bees. A, ventral 

 surfaces of labrum (Lra) and epipharynx (Ep), showing two groups of 

 variety a of innervated hairs on prominences at base of epipharynx, x 45. B, 

 inner surface of pharyngeal plate, spread out flat, showing two groups of 

 variety b of innervated hairs (b s ) on dome-shaped prominences at posterior 

 end of this plate, x 45. C, outer surface of cervical plate (CvPl), spread out 

 flat, showing a group of variety c of innervated hairs (c 8 to cio) on either side 

 of this plate with a long group of olfactory pores (Por) between them, x 50. 

 For other abbreviations see page 54. 



one. The mentum, including the appendages attached to it, acts like 

 a small crane which may be moved backward and forward, up and 

 down, and from side to side to a limited degree. The mentum is 

 moved forward when the food particles are to be conveyed from the 

 mandibles to the mouth. After these particles have been placed 

 upon the mentum posterior to the paraglossae, the mentum is moved 

 backward and upward through the buccal cavity (BCav) until the 

 particles are at the mouth opening (Mo). The tactile hairs inside 



