24, TREATISE ON THE 
of the second stomach of ruminating quad- 
rupeds. The scales of wax are deposited in 
these two areas, and assume the same shape, 
' viz., anirregular pentagon. Only eight scales 
are furnished by each individual Bee, for the 
first and last ring, constituted differently from 
the others, afford none. ‘The scales do not 
rest immediately on the body of the insect, 
a slight liquid medium is interposed, which 
serves to lubricate the junctures of the rings 
and facilitate the extraction of the scales, 
which might otherwise adhere too firmly to 
the sides of the receptacles. 
The sting, with its appendages, lies close 
to the last stomach, and, like the proboscis, 
may seem to the naked eye, a simple instru- 
ment, while it is in fact, no less complex in 
its structure than the former apparatus. In- 
stead of being a simple sharp-pointed wea- 
pon, likea fine needle, it is composed of two 
branches or darts, applied to each other lon- 
gitudinally, and lodged in one sheath. One 
of these darts is somewhat longer than the 
other; they penetrate alternately, taking 
