452 EXTERNAL ANATOMY OF INSECTS. 



late or roof of the mouth, below which it is attached, it 

 may be pi*esumed, by its roots to the crust of the head, 

 on each side the pharynx or swallow ; and on its lower 

 side, in many cases, it is attached to the labium, and that 

 very closely, so as to appear to be merely a part of it, 

 and to form its extremity: but in the Orthoptera and 

 Libellulina, it is more free, and in form somewhat re- 

 sembling the tongue of the quadrupeds a . — In substance 

 the tongue varies. In general it seems something be- 

 tween membrane and cartilage ; but in the Predaceous 

 beetles, in which it is not covered by the labium, it ap- 

 proaches nearer to the substance of the general inte- 

 gument, and in Anthia F. it is quite hard and horny: — 

 that just mentioned of the Orthoptera and Libellulina 

 is more fleshy b . With regard to its station, in many 

 cases, as in the instance just named, in the Lamellicorn 

 tribe (Scarabceus L.) and others, it is, when unemployed, 

 concealed within the mouth ; the lips, mandibles, and 

 maxillae all closing over it. The tongue of some Hy- 

 menoptera also is retractile within the mouth. " When 

 ants are disposed to drink," says M. P. Huber, " there 

 comes out from between their lower jaws, which are 

 much shorter than the uppei", a minute, conical, fleshy, 

 yellowish process, which performs the office of a tongue, 

 being pushed out and drawn in alternately: it appears 

 to proceed from the lower-lip.— This lip has the power 

 of moving itself forwards in conjunction with the lower 

 jaws : and when the insect wishes to lap, all this appa- 

 ratus moves forward ; so that the tongue, which is very 

 short, does not require to lengthen itself much to reach 



a Plate VI. Fig. 6, 12. e', Cuvier Anat. Com far. iii 347. 

 b Cuvier Ibid. 



