160 Beekeeping 



to create any new organ, preferring rather to make over some 

 already existing structure into something that will serve a 

 new purpose." — Snodgrass, I.e. p. 78. 



The poison of the sting arises from two sets of glands. 

 The conspicuous poison sac (PsnSc) which opens into the 

 bulb of the sting is usually seen attached to the sting when 

 the sting is pulled from a bee. The contents of this gland 

 have an acid reaction and it was formerly believed to be 

 formic acid. This acid comes from two long coiled tubes 

 (AGID) on which are two small enlargements, supposed 

 to be the secreting glands (AGl). The tubes (AGID) also 

 probably have gland cells in the walls. This other poison 

 glands {BGl), known as the alkaline glands, also empty into 

 the bulb of the sting. Their secretion is supposed to have 

 an alkaline reaction. According to Carlet,i the secretions 

 of these two sets of glands must be mixed to be fully effec- 

 tive. The secretions enter the bulb where they are mixed 

 and are then forced down the canal {PsnC) formed by the 

 sheath and lancets. 



In most books on bees, certain lateral openings in the 

 lancets are described as paths of the poison in the process 

 of stinging. Snodgrass showed, however, that these do not 

 connect with the poison canal and supposed them to be ducts 

 of some kind of subcuticular glands. Mclndoo has shown 

 them to be olfa,ctory pores (p. 170). 



The sting, as every beekeeper knows, is an effective 

 weapon of defense. When used, it usually cannot be with- 

 drawn because of the barbs {Brh) on the lancets. The 

 sting with the accessory plates and poison sac are therefore 

 usually torn from the body of the bee, causing so severe 

 an injury to the abdomen that the worker dies within a 

 short time. The defender is thus sacrificed for the good 

 of the colony. The parts torn away include the muscles 

 which operate the accessory plates and indirectly slide the 

 lancets on the sheath. The sting may therefore be driven 



' Carlet, G., 1890. Memoir sur le venin et I'aiguilloii de I'abeille. 

 Ann. des sci. nat., Zool., 7 ser., IX, pp. 1-17. 



