CHAPTER II 



PHTSIOLOGY OF THE HONEY BEE 



TT would be impossible to minutely de- 

 -*- scribe the physiology of the honey bee 

 within the narrow confines of a single chapter, 

 nevertheless in the keeping of bees it is neces- 

 sary to understand the most important of 

 their physical characteristics. A more thor- 

 ough and'iextensive discussion of their various 

 organs can be found in works by Cheshire 

 and others, who devote whole chapters to a 

 single organ or function of Apis melifera. 



The honey or hive bee belongs to the order 

 Hymenoptera, perhaps the most comprehen- 

 sive order of insects, most of which are re- 

 markable for social traits and quality of 

 instinct. 



As we look into the brood nest of a colony 

 of bees, we find that they have built a number 



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