104 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. [Ch. ii. 



meshes, analogous to the inner coat of the second 

 stomach of ruminant quadrupeds. 



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 II. Fig. 4) 

 exhibits the sting of the worker bee with its muscles and 

 attachments : r shows the muscles that move the sting, 

 and q the curved base of the outer sheath by which it is 

 enclosed. Much beautiful mechanism is observed on a 

 microscopic examination of this weapon, so wonderfully 

 powerful in comparison with its bulk. The sting is 

 composed of three separate portions, each of which is 

 double — the dart, and the inner and outer sheaths. Very 

 confusing accounts are given of this organ in different 

 works, owing probably to the term " sheath " being 

 applied by some to the outer and by others to the inner 

 covering. The outer one consists of two fleshy curved 

 claspers [g in the figure), inside of which is the linear 

 sheath, which forms an essential portion of the sting, and 

 consists of two horny scales closely adherent to the darts. 

 These last are composed of stiff filaments, which at the 

 outer end are each barbed with from five to ten teeth on 

 one side; and they slide within the inner sheath, and 

 that within the outer, on the principle of the tubes of a 

 telescope. As represented in our engraving, the inner 

 sheath clasps the darts to a level with the tips of the 

 outer one. 



