412 ME. T. .T. MKIANT ON THE 



it did. Immediately, however, I moved the honey and touched 

 the antennae of these same bees with the same honey, the usual 

 movements of the tongue were produced, although there was 

 then no honey touching the tongue. I cannot therefore suppose 

 that these bristles iu the region of and on the tongue are taste- 

 organs. 



Ou the outer surface of the base of the tongue is a smooth 

 groove {n, figs. 8 & 24, base of tongue, from above) ; this is only 

 found in the workers. When bees feed one another, the tongue 

 of the bee that is taking the food is applied to this groove ou the 

 tongue of that which is supplying it. The importance of it being 

 free from hair is clear when it is remembered that an extension 

 and contraction of the tongue is, except in one condition, the 

 invariable mode in which the bee obtains its food ; it would ob- 

 viously be impossible for the tongue, thickly covered with hairs 

 as it is, to pass over another surface as thickly covered, more 

 especially when the hairs are in each case directly opposed to one 

 another. 



The posterior end of this feeding-groove is hinged to a lever 

 (o,figs. 6, 8, & 9), the shape and position of which can best be under- 

 stood from a reference to the figure. From the centre of the 

 lower part of this lever arise two chitinous processes — one dark, 

 curving forward, and uniting with the paraglossse (p, fig. 8) ; the 

 other hyaliue, which, passing upwards, forms one side of the 

 lower part of the salivary valve (g, fig. 8). To the lower end of 

 the lever is affixed the muscle T ; the contraction of this muscle 

 will act upon the lower chitinous process running to the salivary 

 valve, and serve to close it. The salivary valve just referred to 

 is semicircular in transverse section (t, fig. 23); and, when viewed 

 from above, is irregularly oblong (t, fig. 22). A pair of muscles 

 (s^, figs. 8 & 9) act upon it from below, and two other pairs (s^ 

 and s^, figs. 6, 8, & 9). At the posterior end it receives the sali- 

 vary duct (r, figs. 3, 6, 8, & 9). This duct arises in the thorax, and, 

 after there collecting the saliva, receives the products of the glands, 

 found on each side of the head, and then passes into the mentum. 

 The tongue and paraglossse, but not the palpi, are partially 

 withdrawn into the mentum, in the manner shown in fig. 9, by 

 the action of a pair of muscles (r.t. figs. 2, 3, 4, G, 7, 8, & 9) j they 

 arise from the upper and hinder part of the head, and are inserted 

 at the upper part of the paraglossae. 



In that part of the mentum surrounding the salivary valve is 

 the chamber in which the syrup or nectar comes in contact with 



