74 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



and surrounding a small tube, or lumen. These cells 

 have, of course, an absorbing surface on the outside, 

 while their proximate faces secrete a liquid silk, 

 which, as formed, is passed into the reservoir, of 

 which B is a cross section, where it collects in con- 

 siderable quantity before the time of spinning. 



By inserting a needle into the mouth of a worker 

 bee, and passing it upwards, behind the front wall 

 of the head, the latter may be so opened that its 

 salivary (?) glands, in a partly broken condition, may 

 be obtained for examination ; but if the attachments 

 and entire forms are to be investigated, we must 

 proceed as follows: Partly fill some shallow recep- 

 tacle, such as a pomatum-pot, or large pill-box, with 

 melted bees', or paraffin, wax. When cold, with a 

 hot wire melt a little bath in the centre of the 

 waxen surface, and then insert the bee we wish to 

 dissect, so placing in this case that one side of the 

 head is submerged. By a second application of the 

 wire, re-melt the wax in the neighbourhood of the 

 head, using no more heat than is necessary to secure 

 thorough adhesion, and now cover with water or 

 glycerine. A powerful light and a good watch- 

 maker's eye-glass (secured round the operator's head 

 with a tape, when it can be pushed up on to the 

 forehead if not required) will permit of reason- 

 ably good dissection, although, of course, better 

 results can be reached by using a Stephenson's 

 erecting-binocular-microscope — the instrument with 

 which all the dissections for this work have been 

 made. The bee thus securely held by the wax both 

 hands are free to manipulate. Now, with a needle- 



