31-t STATES OF INSECTS. 



stinctions. The upper lip (labrum) in Halicius Latr., a 

 tribe of wild bees, in the female is furnished with an in- 

 flexed appendage, which is not discoverable in that of 

 the male a ; and the shape of this lip in Sphecodes Latr. 

 differs in the sexes b . Perhaps the horn or tubercle ob- 

 servable on this part of some female Nomadce F. c may 

 be wanting in the male. 



The under-lip (labium) — taken in a restricted sense for 

 that central part from which emerge the labial palpi, and 

 which is often considered as the mentum, — does not offer 

 any striking variations in the sexes. One, however, is 

 of importance, as it helps to prove which are the true 

 female Lucani. In the male the labium is emarginate, 

 in the female it is intire. This may be seen both in 

 L. Cervus and femoratus, and probably in other species. 

 The sculpture also is different, the lip being smooth in 

 the former and covered with excavated puncta in the lat- 

 ter. The tongue (lingua or ligida) of the sexes is usually 

 the same ; except in the hive-bee, in which that of the 

 neuters is longer than that of the male and female. 



The upper-jaws (mandibulce), however, often afford 

 striking sexual characters. The enormous protended 

 ones of the common stag-beetle (Lucanus Cervus) attract 

 the attention of the most incurious observer ; and these 

 are now generally allowed to be of this description. 

 Geoffroy and Mr. Marsham, indeed, have asserted that 

 they have taken in coitu those with long mandibles : but 

 as these males are pugnacious, and attack each other with 

 great fury, as Mr. Sheppard informs me, it is not impro- 

 bable that these gentlemen may have mistaken a battle 



a Mon. Ap. Angl. i. Melitta **. b. 139. I. ii./. 4—6. 



h Ibid. **. a./. 4, 5. r Ibid. Apis *. b. ]!)0-. /. v./. 18 b. ■ 



