GENERAL CITAUAC'l'KftlS'TlOS. 3 



Wing In mid air, the trunspuvont oornoa covering the eyes of all 

 insects, the almost impalpable Alms cast by the moulting larvae, 

 and the black and yellow rings of our native and imported bees, 

 besides internal braces, tendons, uiombranes. and ducts innu- 

 merable. The external skeleton, hard for the most part, and 

 varied in thickness in beautiful adaptation to the strain to which 

 It may be exposed, gives persistency of form to the little wearer ; 

 but it needs, wherever movement is necessary, to have delicate 

 extensions joining the edges of its unyielding plates. This we 

 may understand by examining the legs of a lobster or crab, fur- 

 nished like those of the bee, with a shelly case, but so large that 

 no magnifying glass is required. Here we see that the thick coat 

 is reduced to a thin and easily creased membrane, where, by flex- 

 Ion, one part is made to pass over the other." 



"Again, almost every part of the body is covered by hairs, the 

 form, structure, direction, and position of which, to the very 

 smallest, have a meaning." (Cheshire, " Bees and Bee-keeping," 

 p. 30. London, 1887.) 



7. Mr. Cheshire explains that, as the skeleton or frajne- 

 wor]v of the bee is not sensitive, these hairs act as organs 

 of touch, each one containing a nerve. They also act as 

 clothing and aid in retaining heat — 



" and give protection, as the stiff, straight hairs of the eyes, 

 whilst some act as brushes for cleaning, others are thin and 

 webbed for holding pollen grains ; whilst by varied modifications, 

 others again act as graspers, sieves, piercers, or mechanical stops 

 to limit excessive movement." 



8. The three sections of the body of the honey-bee are 

 perfectly distinct : the head; the thorax, or centre of locomo- 

 tion, bearing the wings and the legs ; and the abdomen, 

 containing the honey-sack, stomach, bowels, and the main 

 breathing organs. . 



The principal exterior organs of the head are the antennse, 

 the eyes, and the parts composing the mouth. 



9. The eyes are five in number, two composite eyes, one 

 on each side of the head, which are but clusters of small 

 eyes or facets, and three convex eyes, or ocelli, arranged in 

 a triangle at the top of the head. 



