102 ANATOMY AMD PHYSIOLOGY. [Ch. ii. 



§ IV. THE ABDOMEN AXD SECRETIVE ORGANS. 



The abdomen, attached to the posterior part of the 

 thorax by a slender ligament, has, for an outer <;overing; 

 six folds or scales of unequal breadth, overlapping each 

 other, and contains the honey-bag, or first stomach, the 

 ventricle, or true stomach (Plate II. Figs, i and 2/), with 

 other intestines, to be hereafter referred to. 



The honey-bag (Figs, i and 2 (^ is an enlargement of 

 the gullet, and, although called the first stomach, no 

 digestion takes place here. In shape it is like a taper 

 oil-flask ; when full it is about the size of a small pea, 

 and so transparent that the colour of the honey may be 

 seen through it. This sac, as it is sometimes called, is 

 susceptible of contraction, and so organised as to enable 

 the bee to disgorge a part of its contents at will, to fill the 

 honey-cells of the hive. It has been much controverted 

 whether any or what change takes place in the nectar of 

 flowers whilst in the bee's stomach (Chap. VI. § iii.). 



A short passage leads to the ventricle or true stomach 

 (Figs. I and 2 /), which is somewhat larger. This receives 

 the food from the honey-bag, for the nourishment of the 

 bee and the secretion of wax. The stomach, like the 

 honey-bag, has a considerable number of muscles, which 

 are brought into play to help the digestive and other 

 organs. The biliary vessels (Figs, i and 2 h, Ji) receive 

 the chyle from the digested food in the stomach, which 

 from thence is conveyed to all parts of the body for its 



