MANUAL OP THE APIARY. 91 



then we must conclude that development and growth — as with 

 the high-holder — spring from desire. The generative organs 

 are very sensitive, and exceedingly susceptible to impressions, 

 and we may yet have much to learn as to the delicate forces 

 which will move them to growth and activity. Though these 

 fertile workers are a poor substitute for a queen, as they are 

 incapable of producing any but drones, and are surely the 

 harbingers of death and extinction to the colony, yet they 

 seem to satisfy the workers, for they will not brook the pres- 

 ence of a queen when a fertile worker is in the hive, nor will 

 they suffer the existence in the hive of a queen-cell, even 

 though capped. They seem to be satisfied, though they have 

 very slight reason to be so. These fertile workers lay indif- 

 ferently in large or small cells — often place several eggs in a 

 single cell, and show their incapacity in various ways. 



The maxillae and labium of the worker bee are much 

 elongated (Fig. 20). The maxillae (Fig. 20, A, mx, mx) are 

 deeply grooved, and are hinged to the head by strong chitinous 

 rods (Fig. 20, A, c, c, St, St) to which are attached the 

 muscles which move these parts. The gutter-like extremities 

 (Fig. 20, A, I, I) are-stiffened with" chitine, and when approx- 

 imated form a tube which is continued by a membrane to the 

 mouth opening of the pharynx, just between the bases of the 

 jaws. This tube forms the largest channel through which 

 nectar passes to the pharynx. The labium varies in length 

 from .23 to .27 of an inch. By the sub-mentum (Fig. 20, 

 A, o) and two chitinous rods (Fig. 20, A, h, h) it is hinged 

 to the maxillae. The base or mentum (Fig. 2(), A, m) is tubu- 

 lar. The lower part of the tube is thick with chitine, the 

 upper part membranous. This tube is the continuation of 

 the pharynx into the tongue. From the mentum extend the 

 tongue or ligula (Fig. 20, A, t), the paraglossae (Fig. 20, A, 

 p, p) whose sack-like bases connect with the tube of the 

 mentum, and the labial palpi (Fig. 20, h, Ic), which in arrange- 

 ment, form and function, resemble the maxilla. The tongue 

 consists of an annulated sheath (Fig. 20, B and G, S) which 

 is slitted along its under side to near the end. This is very 

 hairy. Within this is a tubular rod (Fig. 20, B and C, R) 

 which is also slitted along its under surface. This extends 

 beyond the sheath, where it becomes an imperfect funnel 

 >(Fig. 20, /). A thin, colorless membrane (Fig. 20, C, s, s) 



