Mr. Hunter's Observations on Bees. 177 
to them ; but both the queen and males, both in the common 
and humble bee, have it, as also, I believe, every one of the 
bee tribe. 
As the bee is a remarkable instance of regurgitation, it is 
necessary the structure of the parts concerned in this operation, 
and which are also connected with digestion, should be well 
considered. Ruminating animals may be reckoned regurgi- 
tating animals, but in them it is for the purpose of digestion 
entirely in themselves. But many birds may be called regur- 
gitating animals, and in them it is for the purpose of feeding 
their young. Crows fill their fauces, making a kind of craw, 
out of which they throw back the food when they feed their 
young : but the most remarkable is the dove tribe, who first 
fill their craw, and then throw it up into the beak of their 
young*. The bee has this power to a remarkable degree, 
not, however, for the purpose of feeding the young, but it is 
the mode of depositing their store, when brought home. 
In none of the above-mentioned regurgitating animals are 
the reservoirs containing the food, the immediate organ of di- 
gestion ; nor does the reservoir for the honey in the bee appear 
to be its stomach. 
The tongue of the bee is the first of the alimentary or- 
gans to be considered : it is of a peculiar structure, and is 
probably the largest tongue of any animal we know, for its 
size. It may be said to consist of three parts respecting 
its length, having three articulations. One, its articulation 
with the head, which is in some measure similar to our la- 
rynx. Then comes the body of the tongue, which is composed 
of two parts ; one, a kind of base, on which the other, or 
* Vide Observations on certain parts of the animal ceconomy, p. 191 , 
MDccxcir. A a 
