130 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



wild bees wherever I have had the opportunity of 

 taking measurements. These antenna-cleaners are, 

 in all the genera and species, most charming objects 

 for low powers; and Mr. Enock has mounted many 

 at my suggestion, so as to display perfectly their 

 peculiar form. But we must pass on. The second 

 leg has no velum, but a conspicuous spur (s) at the 

 termination of the tibia. This spur is the crowbar 

 by which the little forager levers out the pollen mass 

 (see page 18), which she carries home, stored in her 

 basket, seen opposite ti, at A. The second leg is 

 brought over the third, the spine enters at the top 

 end of the basket, and passes down behind the mass, 

 driving it forwards. This spine likewise aids in clean- 

 ing the wings, and so is carried by both queen and 

 drone. The third leg is remarkably specialised, 

 and needs careful examination. The pollen-gathering 

 capacity of the hairs of the upper joints at B is 

 evident. The articulation between the triangular tibia 

 (ti) and oblong metatarsus (p) is quite at one angle 

 of the two joints, so that, as they move upon each 

 other, the parts opposite wp open and shut like a 

 pair of jaws, of which the upper is provided with 

 spiny teeth, shutting down over a flattened plate in 

 the lower. This nipper is exactly fitted to its 

 purpose, and is used for removing wax plates (soon 

 to engage our attention) from the abdomen of the 

 worker. Since neither queen nor drone produce wax 

 the nipper is in their case absent (A and B, Fio-. 24). 

 But the chief interest centres on the two joints last 

 mentioned, as a device for carrying pollen home to 

 the hive. The metatarsus is enlarged into a sub-quad- 



