MANUAL OF THE APIART. 



93 



On the outside of the posterior tibia and basal tarsus is a 

 cavity, made more deep by its rim of hairs, known as the pollen 

 basket (Fig. 22, p). In these pollen baskets is compacted 

 Fie. 22. Fig. 23. 



'c /^c 



Part of Posterior Leg of Worker, much magnified. 



t--Tibia. 7i— Rim of hairs. p— Pollen basket. ts— Joint of tarsi. 



7i— Rim of hairs, 

 c— Claws. 



p— Pollen basket, 

 e— Rows of hairs. 



the polleUj which is gathered by the mouth organs, and carried 

 back by the four anterior legs. Opposite the pollen baskets 

 are regular rows of golden hairs (Fig. 23, e), which probably 

 aid in storing and compacting the pollen balls. 



On the anterior legs of the workers, between the femur and 

 tibia, is a curious notch (Fig. 24, c) covered by a spur (Fig. 24, 

 6). - 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 

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

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

 though other honey and pollen-gathering bees do not possess 



