ANATOMY OF THE BEE. 



17 



31. Antennae. — The antennae, or feelers (Fig. 3, a) are 

 cylindrical organs inserted close to each other in the front of 

 the head. They are covered with hairs ; and, articulated to the 

 head by a hemispherical joint controlled by three muscles, 

 they can be moved about rapidly in every direction. They ar« 

 made up of twelvf joints each in the worker and the queen, 

 and of thirteen joints in the drone (Fig. 4). The antennae give 

 to the bee a power akin to that of speech ; and, by their motions, 

 form a language in which wants and desires can be communi- 

 cated. 



F:r. ♦ 



LONGITUDINAL SECTION OF DRONE ANTENNA. 



Nerve Struoturei remOTed (magnified twenty times). 



A, »«, Scape ; fl, Flagellnm ; 1, 2, S, etc.. No. of Joints ; af, Antennary Fossa, 



or Hollow; tr. Trachea; m, Soft Membrane; wh. Webbed Hairs; Im, Levator 



Mnaole; dm. Depressor Mascle. B, Small portion of Flagellnm (magnified sixty 



times) — n, Nerve; a. Articulation, or Joint. 



32. Organs of Mouth. — The organs of the mouth include 

 the following: — The mandibles or jaws (Fig. 3, m) situated one 

 on either side of the labrum. Their movement is lateral. They 

 are provided with hairs, are exceedingly powerful, and, in the 

 queen and drone only, are rough and notched. The lahrum 

 or upper lip (shown above g, Fig. 3), moves vertically. The 

 epipharynx, or gum flap {g) has a covering of white membrane 

 exceedingly delicate, and is brought into use when liquids are 

 being taken up by the tongue, as explained below. The 

 maxillos, or second jaws [mx) are hollowed out, are siipplied 

 with very stiff hairs, and, in conjunction with the labial palpi, 

 form a tube in which the tongue works ; they bear a short pair 

 of maxillary palpi, or feelers [mxp). A third pair of jaws — 

 iecond maxillm, are fused together so as to form a labium, or 

 under lip, beneath the opening of the mouth, consisting of a 



