94 



MANUAL OP THE APIARY. 



£). For several years this has caused speculation among my 

 students, and has attracted the attention of observing apiarists.' 

 Some have supposed that it aided bees in reaching deeper 

 down into tubular flowers, others that it was used in scraping 

 Fig. 23. 



Pali of Worker's Posterior Leg, inside, much magnified. 



e— Rows of hairs. t— Tibia. c— Claws. 



off pollen, and still others that it enabled bees to hold on 

 when clustering. The first two functions may belong to this, 



Pig. 24 



Anterior Leg of Worker, magnifi^a. 



though other honey and pollen-gathering bees do not possess 

 it. The latter function is performed by the claws at the end 

 of the tarsi. 



