DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. 67 



tudinal section of the whole apparatus, with its 

 entrance into the chyle stomach, somewhat as figured 

 by Schiemenz."* It is provided with two sets of 

 strong muscles, one (/m) running perpendicularly 

 along the backs of the leaflets, and, by their con- 

 traction, pulling asunder the lips, and permitting a 

 passage of food from the honey sac to the chyle 

 stomach ; another {tm), in cross section in the 

 figure, running round the whole, and perfectly 

 closing it at the will of the bee. The figure in 

 like manner shows the two muscular layers (LM, 

 TM) of the honey sac, by the united contraction 

 of which the gathered nectar is driven out into 

 the cells of the comb for general consumption. 

 C, as it gives the form in horizontal section, with 

 the opening and closing muscles, makes somewhat 

 clearer the beautiful mechanism of the stomach- 

 mouth, the utility of which is so conspicuous : for the 

 bee can eat whenever and wherever she likes: when 

 she departs from the old home, with all its stores pro- 

 vided against a "rainy day/' and commits herself, with 

 her companions, to the vicissitudes which the swarm 

 must encounter, she can minimise her risks by carry- 

 ing, in the honey sac, sufficient food for a week's 

 necessities, either using it rapidly in the production 

 of wax, or eking it out, should the elements prove 

 unfavourable for the gathering of new supplies ; and 

 in winter, when departure from the cluster is im- 

 possible, she can, at infrequent intervals, as oppor- 

 tunity arises, so charge herself from the honey cells 



* See " ijber das Herkommen des Futtersaftes und die Speicheldriisen 

 der Biene." — "Zeitsclirift fur Wissenschaftliche Zoologie," Bund 38. 



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