THE BEE. 



easily seen, and its action observed, by inspecting with a microscope 

 the feet of a fly walking on a pane of glass, the observer being on 

 the side of the pane opposite to that on which the fly moves. 



32. Besides the stomach and intestines, the abdomen of the 

 queen and workers contains the sting and the apparatus connected 

 with it, by which the venom which it pours into th% wound is 

 secreted, an instrument of oifence supplied to these in common 

 with many other species of four-winged insects. This formidable 

 weapon of vengeance is established in its tail. All the insects 

 which in common with the bee are supplied with a sting, belong 

 to the order hymenoptera or membrane-winged. This weapon 

 consists of two darts finer than a hair, which lie in juxta- 

 position, being barbed on the outer sides, but so minutely that 

 the points can only be seen with the microscope. These darts 

 move in the groove of a strong sheath, which is often mistaken 

 for the sting itself. When the dart enters the flesh, a drop of 

 subtle venom, secreted by a peculiar gland, is ejected through 

 the sheath and deposited in the wound. This poison produces 

 considerable tumefaction, attended with very acute pain. 



The posterior extremity of the body of a worker with the sting 

 protruded is shown in fig. 13. 



sting 



Fig. 13. — Posterior extx-emity 

 of the body of a worker with 

 the sting protruded. 



Sides of the sheath 



Muscular appar.atus by 

 which tlie stiug in 

 propelled 



Venom-bag 



Fig. 14.— The same slightly magnified, showing 

 the venom-bag. 



The sheath of the sting, also called the ovipositor, consists, ac- 

 cording to Dr. Bevan, of a long tube, or rather of several tubes, 

 which pass one into another like those of a telescope. The muscles 

 by which the sting is propelled, though too minute to be seen 

 without the microscope, have, nevertheless, sufficient power to 

 drive the sting to the depth of the twelfth of an inch into the thick 

 cuticle of a man's hand. The sting is articulated by thirteen scales 

 to the posterior extremity of the body, and at its root are the pair 

 of glands, one of which appears in fig. 14, in which the poison 

 14 



