Glands of JSlcckel and Ramdohr. 115 



is shed when the alimentary canal is molted with the last 

 larval skin. It has been suggested that the difference which 

 Dr. Planta and others find in the composition of the larval 

 food of worker, queen and drone larvae is wholly due to 

 this partially digested pollen which is withheld from the 

 inchoate queen. 



There are also large compound racemose glands (Fig. 

 38 ^) in the head and also a similar pair (Fig. 38 c) in the 

 thorax which are the modified spinning glands of the larva 

 These four glands unite into a common duct which passes 



Fig. 39. 



Ja-moJ Worker showing Wolff's ^laail, after Wolff. 



M Muscles. G Gland. 



7 Taws. 



through the mentum and opens just at the base of the 

 tongue on top in the groove between the paraglossae (Fig. 

 36 C). The thoracic glands were discovered by Ramdohr 

 in 181 1, while Meckel also discovered the second pair of 

 cephalic glands, these are the upper head glands; Schiemenz 

 is probably correct in thinking that these glands, which 

 are present in all bees, are for digesting the nectar. The 

 cane sugar of nectar is certainly digested or changed into 

 the more osmotic and assimilable glucose-like sugar of 

 honey. Very likely these comj^pund racemose glands 

 supply the digestive ferment which accomplishes this part 

 of digestion. As honey is not always fully digested, the 

 drones and queens, as well as the workers, possess these 

 sflands. 



