66 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



carried within her body, does not enter her digestive 

 system, and that by the means of it food can be 

 taken into the chyle stomach as required. /, Plate 

 I., shows us the stomach-mouth, as seen through 

 the transparent walls of the honey sac, its form being 

 not unlike an unopened flower-bud with four sepals. 

 If it be carefully removed from a recently-killed bee, 

 and examined by a simple lens, its lips or leaflets 

 may frequently be observed opening and shutting 

 with a rapid snapping movement. A more remarkable 

 object than this under a low power of the microscope 

 can scarcely be imagined. The oesophagus, honey- 

 sac, and chyle stomach, should be removed together, 

 and placed on a glass slip, the microscope stage being 

 made horizontal. No cover glass should be used, but 

 sufficient very weak salt and water added. The whole 

 object will exhibit, for at least fifteen minutes, muscu- 

 lar contractions of a most instructive kind, while the 

 gaping and snapping of the stomach-mouth, and the 

 passing onwards of food, is often noticed. If the bee 

 operated upon has just previously been fed with 

 honey stained with some aniline dye, the effect is 

 enhanced. By closing the oesophagus I have fre- 

 quently succeeded in getting, not only food, but even 

 bubbles of air, gulped down into the chyle stomach, 

 and, by carefully pressing upon the stomach- 

 mouth with the side of a needle, the lips may be 

 forced open, and food passed on into the stomach 

 beyond. One leaflet being separated from the rest 

 we find it strongly chitinous within, and fringed alono- 

 its margin (A, Fig. 14) by downward-pointing 

 fine, but strong bristles. At B we have the lono-i- 



