18 HUMBLE CREATURES. 



in PI. III. fig. 3, which represents an under view, and 

 in fig. 2, the lateral view of the abdominal segment ; 

 and this overlapping of the dorsal belts gives to them, 

 when viewed from above, the appearance of perfect 

 rings. The ventral belts are not so regularly curved 

 as the others, but form a figure somewhat resembling 

 a breastplate with an obtuse angle in front (PI. III. 

 fig. 3). Not only do the dorsal rings overlie the 

 ventral ones, but they (as well as the latter) overlie 

 one another like the tiles on the roof of a house, and 

 so the whole abdomen is enclosed in an almost im- 

 penetrable coat of mail, — an armature, however, that 

 we shall find hereafter is not invulnerable to the ter- 

 rible sting of the enemy. 



The under-sides of the head and thorax are so 

 covered with hairs, and the latter by the members of 

 locomotion, that it is impossible to distinguish with 

 the naked eye the peculiarities presented by the sur- 

 face. But let us now see in what respect the general 

 form of the worker differs from that of the queen 

 and drone. 



Both the latter are of larger dimensions than the 

 worker, the queen (PI. II. fig. 2) being considerably 

 longer, and the drone (PI. II. fig. 3) both longer and 

 stouter. On comparing the heads of the three kinds, 

 it will be found that those of the worker and queen 

 closely resemble one another both in size and shape, 

 whilst that of the drone is much increased in dimen- 

 sions by its enormous oval compoimd eyes, which 

 meet on the back of the head. The thorax of the 



