STING STRUCTURE. 



IQI 



them of the poison, which is constantly being 

 pumped forwards, as we have seen ; but exit is pro- 

 vided by minute channels (0, 0, 0, 0, D), passing 

 from the poison cavity to the base of each of the 

 five lower barbs ; the poison is thus sunk to the 

 lowest point in the wound, where it collects, so 

 long as the sting remains, until the poison sac is 

 itself empty. From all that has been said, it is 

 apparent that the more quickly the attached sting 

 can be removed, the better. A prompt brushing 

 of the finger over it, or rubbing of the hand, if 

 wounded, rapidly over some part of the clothing 

 before more than a superficial puncture has been 

 made, will usually dislodge the entering sheath ; but 

 even if the sheath and darts have descended their full 

 length into the skin, every additional thrust, although 

 adding nothing to the depth of the wound, still 

 pumps into it additional virus. 



The bee, quick as thought in the execution of her 

 attack, nevertheless does not inflict a wound until she 

 has examined the nature of the surface to be punc- 

 tured, using a pair of very beautiful organs (p, p, A, 

 Plate VI.), called palpi, elaborately provided with 

 feeling hairs and thin nerve ends. She is never so mad 

 with anger but that she has method in her madness, 

 preferring animal to vegetable substances for attack. 

 It is extremely difficult to get her to sting writing 

 paper, and some substances (to be mentioned under 

 Practical Management), applied to the skin, will almost, 

 if not absolutely, save it from attack. 



The strictly mechanical build of the sheath and 

 darts reminding one almost of the guide rods of a 



