THE EVOLUTION OF THE BEE, 



BY MR, A. COLLENETTE, F.C.S. 



The Bee is classed among the Insects (Insecta), which form 

 with the Centipedes (Myriopoda), Spiders (Arachnida), and 

 Crabs f Crustacea), a division distinguished from all other 

 living beings by several peculiarities common to all these, one 

 of which — the possession of jointed feet — has given the name 

 to the division, which is termed Arthropoda. Another family 

 likeness is the segmented division of the body ; though this, 

 the whole division possesses in common with the Kinged- 

 worm (Annelida), and allied families. 



The facts depended on to prove the Evolution of Insects, 

 by such naturalists as Huxley, Haeckel, Lubbock, and Gegen- 

 baur, are the development inside the egg and outside the 

 egg, in the larval forms, in the metamorphoses, and in the 

 structure of the complete insect. Such facts I shall call your 

 attention to as far as is possible in the time at my disposal. 



Beginning at the bottom of the tree before you, which is 

 chiefly taken from Haeckel pedigrees, we find the first im- 

 portant stage is that termed Nauplius. All Crustaceans form, 

 after leaving the egg, sl Nauplius which differs in shape in 

 different animals ; but in all essentials the Nauplius stage is 

 common to all the Crustaceans. A further stage of develop- 

 ment met with in all true crabs and shell-fish is that termed 

 the Zoea stage, to reach which the young has to develop 

 from the egg through the Nauplius stage, through Gill-footed 

 (BranchiopodM) and leaf- footed (Phyllopoda) branches. 

 The gills have developed and increased their leaf-like 

 expansions until they have become true gills. These stages 

 are taken to represent the evolution of early forms — that is, 

 that the Nauplius and the Zoea and their variations were at 

 one time the final forms, and that as the various organs 

 became perfected and divided by being applied to different 

 uses in the economy of the creature, so have the future forms 

 been evolved. This Zoea form is an important portion of the 



