DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. 59 



quickly made into part of that fluid actually, and 

 now, with the rest, visits every muscle and organ 

 by the circulation, in order that it may nourish 

 and sustain. Far removed as we are from bees, 

 there still exists between us and them a most 

 helpful similarity of physical structure, and presently 

 we shall find that the salivary and gastric secre- 

 tions perform precisely the same functions in both. 



If the abdomen be pulled from the thorax of a 

 recently dead bee, until the integument, which is 

 really a part of the external chitinous envelope, 

 ruptures at the narrow junction of the two, called 

 the petiole or stalk, we shall almost uniformly drag 

 away with the abdomen a long thread-like form, 

 which is really the tubular oesophagus or gullet 

 (ce, Plate I.), running away from the tongue through 

 the head, neck, thorax, and petiole, about ^-in., until 

 it begins to enlarge within the abdomen. 



It often happens that the rough surgical operation 

 just described will pull the digestive tube from the 

 abdomen, as well as expose the oesophagus ; but, if 

 not, but little skill is required in so opening the body 

 that the whole may be removed without much injury 



to it. 



Certain glandular products are added to the food 

 in the mouth, of which more hereafter ; but the 

 oesophagus is only conductive in character, and is 

 narrow within the thorax, being ^-in. in diameter. 

 The thorax, indeed, as the centre of locomotion, is 

 loaded with the strong muscles the legs, and espe- 

 cially the wings, require, and so here no space can be 

 spared for the function of digestion. The enlarge- 



