96 bees and bee-keeping 



extremity of the centre and side ducts, assuming, 

 immediately above the bouton, the form seen in F, 

 Plate III. The central duct, which is only from 

 ^ig-in. to 10 1 o0 in. in diameter, because of its smaller 

 size, and so greater capillary attraction, receives the 

 nectar, if insufficient in quantity to fill the side ducts. 

 But good honey-yielding plants would bring both 

 centre and side ducts into requisition. The nectar is 

 sucked up until it reaches the paraglossae {pa, B, 

 Plate III.), which are plate-like in front, but mem- 

 branous extensions, like small aprons, behind ; and 

 by these the nectar reaches the front of the tongue, 

 to be swallowed as before described. Thus, then, 

 the bee is equipped to take advantage of all sources 

 of supply. She can gulp down big draughts, or sip 

 a stream of nectar so fine that 600 miles of it will, 

 when evaporated, store but a lib. section box. 



We are now, then, in a position to settle the ques- 

 tion that has disturbed the minds of entomological 

 and apicultural writers for the two centuries and 

 more elapsing since the time of Swammerdam — Is 

 the bee's tongue solid, or is it tubular? The problem 

 has been one of the highest difficulty to the micro- 

 scope, depending upon the determination of the 

 nature of the back of the central duct, and authori- 

 ties have been pretty equally balanced respecting it. 

 I agreed entirely with Wolff, that the duct was a 

 trough, and not a tube; but this left the question 

 one of authority or observation, and so still open to 

 debate. But, luckily, a form of experiment occurred 

 to me which settles the dispute most conclusively, 

 and in such a way that a 10s. microscope will answer 



