The Bee People. 



flower-cups, and so it must be long. It has 

 to lap up honey, and so it must be flexible. 

 It has to find its way through very small 

 ^*-^^^^^''*''\openings, and so it must be as 

 slender as a thread. 



It often has to come into con- 

 tact with the hard parts of flowers 

 ^and plants, and so it must be 

 [protected. 



It is protected by two hard horny 

 "^ sheaths, — one covering the upper 

 side of the tongue, (t) ; the other covering 

 the lower side. The lower sheath is made 

 of two long pieces, X, X, that can 

 be separated, as you see in the 

 picture. Each has a little feeler 

 F at the end. Usually they lie 

 side by side with their edges over- 

 lapping, underneath the tongue. TheyJ 

 make a little trough in which the 

 tongue lies, as you see in this next" 

 picture. They protect the under side 

 the tongue. 



