THE WEAPON OF DEFENCE 77 



result being that the abdomen is ruptured and 

 the sting left behind with a part of the body. 



Although the greater number of hymenopter- 

 ous insects possess a sting, in very many of them 

 the organ does not serve the same function as it 

 does in the bees and wasps. It is probable, indeed 

 there can be little doubt, that the original purpose 

 of the sting was that of an ovipositor. In other 

 families of the order, notably the ichneumon flies, 

 it still serves this purpose. These striking-looking 

 insects lay their eggs in the bodies of the larvae of 

 other insects, especially those of the butterflies 

 and moths. The apparatus by which they are 

 enabled to do this is essentially the same as that 

 with which the bees inject poison, that is to say, 

 there is a combination of lancets and tubes, 

 connected with a reservoir, which in the one 

 case contains eggs and in the other a deadly 

 poison. 



In the queen bee, curiously enough, both these 

 functions are retained, for, although queens use 

 their sting but seldom, they are nevertheless able 

 to do so and with sufficient effect. 



Some description, as untechnical as possible, 

 may be of interest. The external appearance of 

 the sting is that of a brown horny prickle. An 

 examination of this prickle reveals the fact that it 

 has on one side a groove, in which lie two lancets, 

 furnished with barbs. These lancets are con- 

 tinued beyond the upper end of the sheath, and 



