126 FIRST LESSONS IN ZOOLOGY. 



most part gives the bee and others of its order their supe- 

 rior position over other insects. 



The jaws are rather large, and cross each other in front, 

 and are much as in beetles and grasshoppers, being adapted 

 for biting. On the other hand, the accessory jaws, or max- 

 illae, are different from those of any other insects. They 

 are long and slender, and with the under-lip bent under 

 the head. They consist of three joints, the last forming a 

 long flat blade. Prom the second joint arises a minute 

 two-jointed feeler (palpus). 



The under-lip is, however, the most peculiarly modified. 

 As seen in Pig. 135, A, it consists of three parts ; the two 

 outer forming the feelers, and ending in three small joints, 

 while the middle division is the so-called tongue ; it is soft 

 and fleshy; and, extending this into flowers, the bee gathers 

 the nectar. The mouth-parts are thus a set of complicated 

 tools, — ^the jaws for biting and for use as trowels in making 

 its waxen cells, the sharp lancet-like maxillae for piercing 

 flowers, and the tongue a sort of writhing, hairy rod, for 

 gathering the sweet liquid secreted at the bottom of 

 flowers. 



Altogether, we have nothing so complicated in the mouth- 

 organs of any other group of insects ; they present a pecu- 

 liar specialization of structure, with a physiological divi- 

 sion of labor quite unique. 



The wings are seen to be clear and perfectly trans- 

 parent, with no scales. They are formed of a clear mem- 

 brane, hence the name of the order to which the bee be- 

 longs, i.e., Hymenoptera, or membrane- winged. The veins 

 are few, irregular, inclosing a few cells. The hinder pair 

 of wings are less than half as large as the front pair. 



The legs are not very long, but very hairy, and the 

 hinder ones have flattened shanks, while the flrst toe-joint 

 is very broad and flat, vidth the inner surface covered with 

 dense stiff hairs, upon which the pollen of flowers is stuck, 

 or piled up, so as to form a yellow heap which is borne to 

 the hive. 



