214 APIS MELLIFJCA. 



extremity truncated and slightly dilated. This tongue is inclosed 

 in a scaly semicircular sheath. The thorax is short, rounded, very 

 ohtuse behind ; and the abdomen conical or truncated before, and 

 rounded or convex above, is suspended at its posterior extremity 

 by a small filament or peduncle. The abdomen is composed of 

 from six to seven segments. The legs are less hairy than in the 

 other congenerous insects, and the first joint of the tarsi is large, 

 flattened, in the form of a square palette, a little longer than broad. 

 All the individuals have wings ; the upper wings have a narrow 

 and elongated radial cell and three cubital cells, of which the first is 

 square, receiving the recurrent nerve, and the third oblique linear, 

 receiving the second recurrent nerve. 



" The societies of Bees include three kinds of individuals : — the 

 workers or neuters, forming the greater portion of the population ; 

 the males or drones in limited number ; the females, of which there 

 is generally but one in each hive, known by the name of the 

 Queen-bee. The workers and the females are armed with a sting ; 

 and M. Huber, jun. has remarked a difference among the workers, 

 the largest being destined for out-door employment, and the smaller 

 busying themselves in cleaning the cells and feeding the larvae 

 within. Of the number of Bees in a hive, from 15,000 to 30,000, 

 the males or drones form a portion to the extent of 200 to 1000 

 or upwards, the queen or female bee one, and the others are neu- 

 ters or workers. The males and females only are evolved for the 

 reproduction of the species. The female deposits a great number 

 of ova every day in spring, the cells for which are prepared by the 

 workers ; and the deposition of ova ceases in autumn, because the 

 pollen of flowers for the support of the larvae fails. The individuals 

 first produced are all workers ; about the end of two days the ova 

 for the males are laid, and afterwards those for the females, which 

 are all deposited in corresponding cells. The ova are of an elon- 

 gated form, slightly bent, of a blueish-white colour, about a line 

 long, and they are hatched in the course of three, four, five, or six 

 days, according to the temperature. The larvae produced from 

 these ova are in the form of a small wrinkled white worm, without 

 feet ; and they are fed by the workers, who visit each cell for this 

 purpose with their appropriate food. 



