226 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



are separated by an intervening wedge-shaped disc, 

 so that they lie towards each other, at an angle 

 of from 30 to 6o°, and may be beautifully shown 

 by polarised light. An indurated integument, pro- 

 bably a chitinous plate («), is pushed towards the 

 spermathecal duct, by the contraction of its proper 

 sphincter (e), and in this work it is aided by the 

 muscle h, which is one of two, whose tendinous 

 extension is about y^^-in. in diameter, or ^th the 

 thickness of a human hair. These muscles would, no 

 doubt, all remain tense while the insect was in a con- 

 dition of repose ; but should she be engaged in 

 ovipositing, and spermatozoa be required for fertilisa- 

 tion, the muscle g, by contraction, would lift the plate 

 lying above and between o and k, to which, by a 

 complex tendon, it is attached. Into the cavity (o) 

 thus opened, spermatozoa would pass ; the two 

 sphincters at the same moment relaxing, an outflow 

 of glandular secretion, as indicated by the arrow, 

 would be ready to sweep the spermatozoa towards 

 their destination in the common oviduct, and all 

 would be driven on by the appendicular sphincter 

 e first contracting, followed in order by the second 

 sphincter {/), and muscle marked h, when both 

 ducts would be closed, and the repose condition 

 re-established. 



A most remarkable adaptation here arises. The 

 spermatozoa yielded by the drone are, probably, not 

 usually more than 4,000,000 in number. It is of 

 course, extremely difficult to make a calculation ■ 

 the very highest estimate I have ever reached is 

 12,000,000; Leuckart states that the spermatheca may 



