48 MANUAL OF THE APIABT. 



CHAPTER II. 

 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOaY. 



In this chapter I shall give first the general anatomy of 

 insects ; then the anatomy, and still more wonderful physiology 

 of the honey-bee. 



ANATOMY OF INSECTS. 



In all insects the body is divided into three well-marked 

 portions (Pig. 2) : the head fPigs. 4 and 5), which contains 

 the mouth-organs, the eyes, both the compound and when 

 present the simple, and the antennae ; the thorax, which is 

 composed of three rings, and gives support to the one or two 

 pairs of wings, and to the three pairs of legs ; and the abdo- 

 men, which is composed of a variable number of rings, and 

 gives support to the external sex-organs, and when present to 

 the sting. Within the thorax there are little more than 

 muscles, as the concentrated strength of insects, which ena- 

 bles them to fly with such rapidity, dwells in this confined 

 space. Within the abdomen, on the other hand, are the sex- 

 organs, by far the greater and more important portions of the 

 alimentary canal, and other important organs. 



ORGANS OF THE HEAD. 



Of these the mouth organs (Fig. 6) are most prominent. 

 These consist of an upper lip — labrum — and under lip — labium 

 — and two pairs of jaws which move sidewise ; the stronger, 

 horny jaws, called mandibles, and the more membranous, but 

 usually longer, maxillse. The labrum (Fig. 6, I) is well de- 

 scribed in the name upper lip. It is attached, usually, by a 

 movable joint to a similarly shaped piece above it, called cly- 

 peus (Fig. 6, c), and this latter to the broad epicranium (Fig. 

 6, o), which contains the antennae, the compound, and, when 

 present, the simple eyes. 



