46 • THE APIARF. 



ing vessels are contained in the membrane which lines 

 these receptacles, and which is covered with a reticula- 

 tion of hexagonal meshes, analogous to the inner coat of 

 the second stomach of ruminant quadrupeds. 



The little plates'of wax are withdrawn by the bee itself, 

 with its hind feet, carried to the mouth with its fore feet, 

 where the wax is made soft and ductile. When a cluster 

 or swarm is placed in a new hive, and the bees suspend 

 themselves in the form of a garland, as before described, 

 it seems feasible that the lower bees pass their secretions 

 up the living ladder to the uppermost ones, to be moulded 

 by them into those beautiful white hexagonal shapes of 

 which new comb is composed. The rapidity with which 

 comb-building progresses at such times would lead to 

 the supposition that there is a division of labour of this 

 kind among them, just as our labourers convey building 

 material to the artisan on the scaifold above. This 

 work of comb-building is carried forward in warm 

 weather ; a cold temperature interferes with the secre- 

 tion of wax. 



The last important organ of the abdomen is the sting : 

 this small but effective weapon is situate close to the 

 stomach, and is found in the queen and worker, but is 

 absent in the drone. Our engraving (Plate 11., fig. 4) 

 exhibits the sting of the worker-bee, with its muscles and 

 attachments : t shows the muscles that move the sting, 

 and q the curved base of the sheath that encloses the 

 sting. 



