66 THE ANATOMY OF THE HONEY BEE. 



be simply accessory to the large vertical sterno-scutal muscle (fig. 27, 

 VMcl). Another is a long slender muscle (bh) attached to the upper 

 end of the mesocoxa and inserted upon the postparapterum {3P). 

 This is sometimes termed the coxo-axillary muscle. A third (cc) is 

 inserted upon the tip of the accessory sclerite (y) of the fourth 

 axillary and is attached -to the lateral arm of the large entosternum 

 of the mesothorax and metathorax. 



3. THE LEGS. 



The legs of the honey bee are highly modified for several special 

 purposes besides that of walking, but they are so well known and 

 have been so often jiescribed that it will not be necessary to devote 

 much space to them here. 



The front legs (fig. 29 A) have a structure formed by the adjoining 

 ends of the tibia and the first tars'al joint, which is called, on account . 

 of its use, the antenna cleaner. It consists (fig. 29 C) of a semi- 

 circular notch {dd) in the base of the first tarsal joint provided 

 with a comblike row of bristles. A specially modified, flat, movable 

 spur (ee), shown in ventral view at B, is so situated on the end of 

 the tibia {Th) that it closes over the notch when the tarsus is bent 

 toward the tibia. By grasping an antenna between the notch and 

 the spur and drawing it through the inclosure the bee is able to re- 

 move from this sensitive appendage any pollen or particles of dirt 

 that may be adhering to it. 



The middle legs (fig. 29 D) present no special modifications of any 

 importance. It will be observed, however, that they, as well as the 

 other legs (A and F), have the first joint of the tarsus (ITar) very 

 greatly enlarged. 



The hind legs of all three forms, the worker (F) , the queen (E) , and 

 the drone (H), have both the tibia and the large basal segment of 

 the tarsus very much flattened. In the queen and drone there seems 

 to be no special use made of these parts, but in the worker each of 

 these two segments is modified into a very important organ. The 

 outer surface of the tibia iF,Th) is fringed on each edge by a row of 

 long curved hairs. These constitute a sort of basket (CI) in which 

 the pollen collected from flowers is carried to the hive. The struc- 

 tures are known as the pollen hasJcets, or corhicula. The inner sur- 

 face of the large, flat, basal segment of the tarsus (ITar) is pro- 

 vided with severalrows of short stiff spines (G) forming a brush by 

 means of which the bee gathers the pollen from its body, since it 

 often becomes covered with this dust from the flowers it visits for 

 the purpose of getting nectar. When a sufficient amount is accumu- 

 lated on the brushes it is scraped off from each over the edge of the 

 tibia of the opposite hind leg and is thus stored in the pollen baskets. 

 Hence the worker often flies back to the hive with a great mass of 



