60 HUMBLE CREATURES. 



thoracic ganglion (fig. 2, c), composed oi grey nervous 

 matter. In the larval stage of the insect this is not 

 onCj but three ganglia^ which during the metamor- 

 phosis hecome fused into one large ganglion *j the most 

 considerable, in fact, in the whole body, and from it 

 there proceed nerves to the various members of loco- 

 motion (3, 4, 5, 6, 7) . Compared with the thoracic 

 ganglion, the remaining five, all situated in the abdo- 

 men [d, e, f, g, h), are of very small proportions, and 

 each gives out a pair of fine lateral nerves to the organs 

 enclosed in the respective rings, whilst from the last 

 ganglion, which is larger than the rest, there proceed 

 a number of nerves to the reproductive organs. 



And now, after this somewhat monotonous account 

 of nerves and ganglia, we arrive at what must indeed 

 be regarded as by far the most interesting portion of 

 the Bee's anatom.y, when considered in relation to the 

 history of the insect ; we mean the organs of repro- 

 duction ; for their investigation has not only explained 

 much that was before mysterious in its life-history, 

 but has revealed some of the most remarkable phe- 

 nomena in animated nature. 



It has been already stated that a hive consists of 

 three kinds of Bees : the drones or males ; the workers 

 or females with reproductive organs but partially de- 

 veloped, and consequently of no use ia the multipli- 

 cation of the species ; and the queen or perfect female, 

 the mother of the hive, in whom the reproductive 

 system is complete. We shall now ask you to accom- 

 * See account of tlie metamorphosis, Chapter VI. 



