88 



OSr THE ANTENNA OP THE HONEY-BEE. 



as before ; but they are distinctly sligbter in build and are bent 

 at right angles at about half their length, the hooks of the hairs 

 on either side being directed towards each other. It must be 

 remembered that the Bee invariably uses this extreme tip in 

 touching anything; and that it touches its fellow Bee upon the 

 front of the antenna. It is also to be noticed that the wall of 

 the antenna becomes considerably thinner at the extreme tip. 



Fi^.7 I Fiq.8 



Fig. 7. Section of apical segment of antenna, showing the thinning of the walls 



and the hooked terminal hairs : a, granulous nerve-structure. 

 Pig. 8. Section of fragment of antenna, showing, a, tube-like organs seen at a, 

 fig. 5. 



The fifth structure is more difficult to mate out. Within, the 

 segments are lined with granular nerve-structure (fig. 7, a) ; and 

 in certain parts are to be found imbedded in this nervous matter 

 some tubular, slightly conical forms (fig. 8, a), which arise from 

 the inner surface of the antenna. They are very similar to 

 the stethoscope-like organs described by Sir John Lubbock in 

 the antenna of Myrmica ruginodis *, excepting that there is no 

 tube connecting them with the walls of the antenna, with which 

 they are in immediate contact, and through which they commu- 

 nicate with the outside, by pores collected into a small group 

 (fig. 5, &), and found near the articulation. 



It is probable that the hooked hairs at the end of the antenna 

 are active sense-organs, and that the other organs are passive. 

 That some are for smell there can be no doubt ; but as there 

 remain yet to be described several organs of the same character 

 in various parts of the tongue and mouth, it is perhaps premature 

 to attempt to settle the special offices of those of the antenna. 



P.S. — Since the above was read to the Society, I have, 

 through the kindness of Dr. Murie, had my attention directed 

 to a paper by Dr. Paul Schiemenz in the 'Zeitschrift fiir "Wis- 

 senschaftliche Zoologie,' Band xxxviii. 1883, p. 71, in which he 

 gives a description o£ the foregoing structures, and refers to 

 them as touch- and smell-organs. 



* ' Ants, Bees, and Wasps,' 1882, p. 227 ; and Monthly Micros. Jouru. 1877, 

 p. 131. 



