GENERAL STRUCTURE. 31 



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. These 

 are also formed of chitine, and framed for varied 

 uses. The external skeleton, mainly protective in 

 character, is not sensitive, and so a large propor- 

 tion of these appendages are curiously formed (as at 

 C, D, E, and H, Fig. 24), with a bulb at the base, 

 to accommodate a nerve end, by the presence of 

 which they become, in each individual instance, truly 

 organs of touch. Beside this, they act as clothing, 

 the thoracic and abdominal pubescence, or fluff, aiding 

 in retaining heat, and give protection as the stiff, 

 straight hairs of the eyes (Plate II.), whilst some act 

 as brushes for cleaning [eb, C, Plate V.) ; others are 

 thin and webbed, for holding pollen grains (as I, 

 Fig. 24) ; whilst, by varied modifications, others again 

 act as graspers, sieves, piercers, or mechanical stops 

 to limit excessive movement. Possibly, the hairs are 

 not exclusively utilitarian, since those on the dorsal 

 part of the abdominal rings would appear to be 

 intended mainly as a decoration. 



Whilst carefully scrutinising a worker and a drone 

 by the aid of a hand magnifier, or watchmaker's eye- 



crl ass and every intelligent bee-keeper should at least 



possess some such apparatus — we note that the 

 abdomen of the worker, like that of the queen, is 

 surrounded by six belts of chitine, each being made 

 of two plates— one, larger, on the back (the dorsal 

 plate), overlapping the second, smaller, or ventral 

 plate which is applied to the lower side of the body. 

 This arrangement is well shown in the chrysalis 



