1880. } The Tongue of the Honey Bee. 275 
think he is mistaken, as will appear in the sequel. When not dis- 
tended this membrane lies in folds (Fig. 1,C, s); but when distended 
it with the rod pushes out of the sheath, so as to form with the 
latter a large tubular sack (Fig. B S, s), with the tubular rod (Fig. 
C, R) along the surface opposite the sheath. At the base this 
sack has a chitinous support (Fig. A, Q Q), and connects through 
the tube of the mentum with the pharynx, and receives the tube 
of the rod. It extends nearly if not quite to the end of the 
sheath, certainly as far as the slit in the latter extends, and is, an- 
teriorly, imperforate. 
The labial palpi (Fig. 1, A, 4, #) like the maxillæ, are deeply 
- grooved, and when brought close together form a tube which also 
has a membranous connection with the mouth opening into the 
pharynx. 
The paraglosse are short, leaf-like organs (Fig. 1, A, f, £) with 
a hollow membranous base, which also connects with the tube of 
the mentum and the sack of the ligula. 
When not in use the ligula, with the labial palpi and maxille, 
all double back under the head, and the tongue is so retracted 
that it extends no further than the labial palpi. This shortening 
of the ligula seems to be effected by drawing the more mem- 
branous and less hairy base into the mentum. 
How do bees take liquids into their stomachs? This question, 
as we have seen, has received various answers. Some have 
thought that the nectar was drawn through a tube formed by the 
approximation of the ligula, the palpi and the maxilla. Others 
that suction was the force and the tongue the tube. Still others 
have believed that the nectar was lapped up by the bees. I hope 
to be able to show you that all are right. po 
Look at the bee through a good lens (I have used Toll’s one- 
half inch) while sipping honey containing grains of solid matter, 
and the fine particles will often be seen to ascend through the 
tube formed by bringing the maxilla together. We have already _ 
seen how this liquid passes to the mouth and through this into — 
the pharynx. Or we can color some rather thin honey or syrup 
by aniline (I have found deep red to be the best), and while the aes 
bee is sipping this colored liquid, which it does as eagerly as 
though the poisonous aliline were not present, cut off its head, 
which, with a pair of dissecting scissors is done in an instant. — 
Examination plainly shows the track along the channeled maxilla 1 E 
