NOSEMA-DISBASE. 



a slender tube traversing the entire thorax. In the anterior part of 

 the abdomen the oesophagus expands into a large thin-walled sac 

 which is known as the honey stomach (HS) ; next is the short neck- 

 lilce portion, the proven triculus (Pvent); then comes the large U- 

 shaped portion, the stomach or ventriculus (Vent), an organ with 

 thick waJls and many annular constrictions. FoUowing the stomach 

 is the short, narrow 

 and coiled, small in- 

 testine (Slnt) having 

 a circle of about one 

 hundred long, greatly 

 coiled, blind, thread- 

 like tubes opening 

 into its anterior end. 

 These tubes are the 

 Malpighian tubules 

 (MaT). Following the 

 small intestine is the 

 large intestine or rec- 

 tum (Reef). When 

 bees have been con- 

 fined for some time 

 this latter portion of 

 the canal is found dis- 

 tended with material 

 to be voided. 



Since the stomach is 

 always invaded by the 

 parasite in Nosema- 

 disease, and the Mal- 

 pighian tubules occa- 

 sionally are, a further 

 description of the 

 structure of these or- 

 gans seems warranted. 



The stomach (fig. 



1 Vent) is a relatively ^<^- l.— Alimentary canal ot worker bee: Pharynx (PAy), oesophagus 



<-Vi ■ t- "" 11 rl (CB), honey st6niaoii (.HS), proventriculus (_Pvent), stomach or 



tniCK-Wailea organ veutriculus (Vent), small intestine (S/ni), and large intestine or 



lying U-shaped within rectum (.Itect), rectal glands (.RGl), Malpighian tubules (Mai) 



the abdomen. When 

 removed and straight- 

 ened it is seen to be in general cylindrical but somewhat spindle-shaped 

 in form. (PI. I.) Circular constrictions present give to it a segmented 

 appearance. The number and distinctness of these transverse mark- 

 ings vary somewhat. The size of the organ and its color vary also. 

 The color varies within wide limits, being usually some shadei of 



Vfent 



Salivary glands of head (UGl) and thorax (SGI), and pharyngeal 

 glands (iG!)arealsoshown. (Snodgrass.) 



