274 The Tongue of the Honey Bee. [ April, 
and to them are attached muscles, which in part affect the move- 
ment of the labium. The mentum is a flattened cylinder, the 
floor and sides of which are thick and opaque, because of the 
abundance of chitine contained in their structure. While lining 
this chitinous gutter and completing the tube is a thin colorless 
membrane, which is but the anterior prolongation of the pharynx. 
There also abundant muscles within the mentum which extend 
even for a short distance along the sides of the base of the tongue. 
These not only affect the motion of the whole labium, but also 
protrude and retract the ligula or tongue. 
The ligula or tongue (Fig. 1, A and B, Z) extends from the ante- . 
rior extremity of the mentum. It consists of a sheath (Fig. B, s) 
which from the many rows of yellowish hairs appears annulated. 
When not distended, the sheath, as seen in cross-section (Fig. 1, C), 
is kidney-shaped. It has a slit (Fig. 1, C, #) along the under surface, 
from the base very near the end. In some specimens the slit seems 
to reach quite the end. Within the sheath is a small colored, 
triangular rod (Fig. 1, C, R) darker than the sheath, which except 
for a slit (Fig. 1, C, 2) on its under surface, would form a tube Fig. 
1, C, R); in fact the sides of the rod along the slit can be brought 
in such close contact as virtually to form a tube. Fine hairs pro- 
ject from the walls either side the slit (Fig. 1, C, 2) into the tube, 
which doubtless aid in making the tube more perfect. Along the 
back of the rod is a conspicuous layer which Mr. Hyatt asserts is 
muscular. If this be so we can readily see how its action would 
spread the walis and open the slit. The rod projects beyond the 
sheath, as an imperfect funnel, the “ button ” of Reaumur (Fig. 1, A. 
and B, f). The wanting section of the funnel harmonizes with 
the slit in the rod. Near the end, the rod seems firmly attached 
to the sheath. Any attempt to draw the rod from this position is 
quite certain to rupture the sheath. The rod when extended pro- 
jects from sixteen to eighteen-hundredths of an inch beyond the 
mentum. At the base the rod is colorless, and its tube connects 
above with the membranous sack next to be described; and 
through this with the tube of the mentum and with the pharynx. 
Attached to the edges of the sheath, next to the slit, and possi- 
bly, as Mr. Chambers thinks, entirely lining the latter, and also to 
the corresponding edges of the tubular rod is a thin membrane 
(Fig. 1, C,s). Mr. Chainbers thinks this passes over the slit in the 
rod, making the tube of the latter complete. : I have reasons to 
