Organs of Drones. 103 



spermatozoa have begun to descend to the versiculse semi- 

 nales (Fig. 22, i). Thus m old drones, the testes have 

 shrunken. The spermatozoa are very long, with a marked 

 head (Fig. 31 ), which as Mr. Cowan remarked to me, look 

 like cat-tail flags, as there is a short, small projection beyond 

 the head. These sperm-cells are so very small, and so long 

 and slender, that it is difficult to isolate or trace them ; hence 

 in microscopic preparations they look like one hopeless 

 tangle (Fig. 31). It is incomprehensible how they can be 

 separated and passed, one, two, or more at a time, by the 

 queen as the eggs ai"e to be impregnated. Appended to 

 the versiculse seminales (Fig. 22, c, c) just where they pass 

 to the ejaculatory duct are two large glandular sacs (Fig. 

 22, <f), which add mucus to the seminal fluid. The ejacula- 

 tory duct (Fig. 22, e ), is rather long and very muscular. 

 This passes to a pouch (Fig. 22,_/), where the sperm-cells 

 are massed, preparatory to coition. Leuckart called this 

 mass of spermatozoa the spermatophore. This is what is 

 passed to the spermatheca of the queen during coition. 

 Below this is the organ proper. If has, as may be seen by- 

 pressing a drone, three pairs of appendages, somewhat horn- 

 like, and certain roughness or pleats, (Fig. 22, h. i), which 

 serve to make connection more close during coition. These 

 little barb-like teeth, rough projections and horns, as they 

 are grasped and firmly pressed by the vulva or enlarge- 

 ment just at the end of the oviduct of the queen, are held 

 as in a vice; and so we see why they are torn from the 

 drone dunng coition. As Leuckart has so admirably 

 described, the external organs of the drone are drawn up 

 into the so-called bean or sac (Fig. 22,_/'), as the finger 

 of a glove often turns in as we draw the glove off the 

 hand. As we press a drone, or hold it in our warm hand 

 as it has just returned from a long flight, when its air sacs 

 are distended ; or when it meets the queen, the sexual act is 

 accomplished wholly or in part, and the external organ is 

 everted or turned out as we turn the glove-finger out. In 

 case of coitus, this eversion is very complete, so that the 

 -bean or sac (Fig. 22,_/") turns out, and the spermatophore 

 is passed into the oviduct of the queen and by her muscular 

 oviduct pushed into the spermatheca. This seems a won- 



