<54 



BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



ventral plate covers the membrane of the ring next 

 it, forming with it a little pouch (wax pocket), open- 

 ing backwards, from which the wax scales often 

 protrude a considerable distance. The queen and 

 drone, on the under side of the abdomen, are in 

 this respect quite differently formed from the worker, 

 wax glands being entirely absent in their case, since 

 they take no part in comb building. The plates of 

 the queen (B, Fig. 33) are wide, to give her greater 



A B 





laliif^^ 

 ****** 



Fig. 33.— Abdominal Plates, Under Side, Third Segment (Magnified 



Twenty times). 



A, Plate from Drone— a, strap ; 6, Webbed Hairs ; sh, Short Hairs. B, Plate from 

 Queen ; a 1 , Strap ; c, Down ; sh, Short Hairs. 



length of body, while the webbed hairs are wanting, 

 since these would interfere with ovipositing, and no 

 carina exists. The corresponding plate (A) in the 

 drone, though strongly framed, is narrow, because his 

 abdomen carries seven rings instead of six. Loose but 

 stout webbed hairs are provided, for reasons previously 

 noticed, and the process (a) giving attachment to 

 muscles aiding in abdominal contraction is much 

 stronger than that (V) possessed by the queen. 



