MANIPULATION OP WAX SCALES OF THE HONEY BEE. 13 



this work and give its attention to the molding of wax laid down 

 by others. This may occur immediately- after a worker has removed 

 the last of its scales, or the bee may turn to sculpturing while several 

 scales yet remain in the pockets. It is thus evident that the produc- 

 ing bee may also be a worker of wax produced by others and that 

 nonproductive bees do not monopolize the work of sculpturing and 

 polishing the comb. 



SUMMARY. 



As is well known, the wax produced by the worker bee occurs in 

 the form of scales, eight in number, which appear upon the surfaces 

 of the eight wax plates. These wax plates are located upon the 

 last four visible ventral plates of a worker bee's abdomen. The wax 

 is secreted by glands which lie upon the inner surface of each wax 

 plate. The liquid wax exudes through pores which perforate the 

 wax plates, and it hardens to form the scales as it comes in contact 

 with the air. 



Unless accidentally dislodged the wax scales are always removed 

 and manipulated by the bee which secretes them. 



In the process of removal the scale is not grasped by the so-called 

 wax shears, but it is pierced by a few of the stiff spines en the distal 

 end of the first tarsal segment of the hind leg and is then drawn 

 from its pocket and remains adhering to these spines until removed 

 for mastication. 



By flexing the hind leg the scale is brought forward beneath the 

 bee's body and into proximity with the mouth. In the process of 

 mastication the forelegs usually aid the mandibles by holding the 

 scale in an advantageous position. 



No definite sequence is observed by the bee in the order in which 

 it removes its scales. 



As a riile entire scales are removed at one operation, although it 

 sometimes happens that a thin scale is broken in extracting it from 

 its pocket or an extremely thick one is gradually beveled off by the 

 continued rasping of the pollen combs. 



Scales which are removed accidentally or which are dropped 

 during manipulation may be recovered later and built into the comb, 

 but the recovery of free scales is usually not accomplished by the 

 bee which secreted them. 



Bees which are producing wax may also rework the masticated 

 wax laid down by others. Producing bees may turn to the work of 

 building and sculpturing the comb either before all their scales 

 are removed or immediately after this has been accomplished. 



o 



