Beceptaculum Seminis of Bees and Wasps. By F. B. Cheshire. 15 



bee is attested by the fact that a careful scrutiny of slabs of brood, 

 containing not less than 300,000 * sealed larvae, showed that the 

 failures were to the successes as 1 : 6300. 



The great width of the common oviduct, COD, fig. 6, in the 

 wasp would lead us to expect some such arrangement for fertiliza- 

 tion as in the bee (fertilizing pouch), and it undoubtedly exists, 

 although in a less perfect condition, and the duct I can be without 

 difficulty traced into it ; but while following this, we as before meet 

 an indication of an entrance way for the spermatozoa to the recep- 

 taculum seminis after their reception from the male into the vulva, 

 quite distinct from the road outwards towards the egg to be 

 fertilized. At h, fig 7, the channel opens widely and unites with 

 the lower part of the common oviduct. The walls of k in 

 hibernating queens I found composed of a membrane formed by 

 coalescing cells each about 8 yu- in diameter but from which all 

 formative material has disappeared. It would be highly desirable to 

 secure some queens immediately after copulation, when no doubt 

 the whole history of this interesting point could be made out. I 

 have not hitherto succeeded in obtaining such queens. 



In drawing this paper to a conclusion, it seems but necessary 

 to state that the rupture of the wasp spermatheca on the slide is 

 followed by movements of the extruded spermatozoa comparable to, 

 although much less energetic than those of the bee. Each sper- 

 matozoon measures about 200 //. in length and somewhat less than 

 0*5 yu, in greatest diameter, whilst its narrower extremity is so 

 remarkably delicate that its last 10 or 15 //. can only just be seen 

 even after careful staining by a Powell oil 1/12 or 1/25. Its incon- 

 spicuous head, beyond which the filament extends about 6 yu,, is 

 scarcely wider than the broadest part of the filament itself and can 

 only be detected with difficulty. A dorsal filament, which readily 

 breaks from its attachments, also exists. The spermatozoon on 

 passing into the rest-condition coils itself up precisely as does 

 that of the bee. I venture to express the hope that this com- 

 munication may be of some service in throwing light upon the 

 difficult but extremely important and interesting question of par- 

 thenogenesis. In a future paper I may give some more definite 

 information in reference to the movements of the spermatozoa 

 immediately after their ejaculation into the body of the female. 



* The production of a drone in a worker cell can be instantly seen by a very 

 convex capping, raised to give room for the larger insect. 



