THE HONEY-BEE. 
37 
of air-vessels, pervading every part of the body, and 
serving the purpose of lungs. The rushing of the 
air through them against the wings, while in motion, 
is supposed to be the cause of the humming sound 
made by the Bees. 
To the lower part of the trunk are attached three 
pair of Legs. The anterior pair, which are most effi- 
cient instruments, serving to the insect the same pur- 
pose as the arms and hands to man, are the shortest, 
and the posterior pair the longest. In each of these 
limbs there are several articulations or joints, of 
which three are larger than the others, serving to 
connect the thigh, the leg or pallet, and the foot or 
tarsus ; the others are situated chiefly in the tarsus. 
(Plate II. Fig. 2., a. the haunch, b. the. thigh, c. the 
tibia or pallet, containing on the opposite side, as 
represented at Fig. 4 a., the basket or cavity ; d, e. 
the foot.) In each of the hinder limbs, one of 
which is represented in Plate II. Fig. 2, there is 
an admirable provision made for enabling the Bee 
to carry to its hive an important part of its stores, 
and which neither the queen nor the male possess, 
being exempted from that labour, viz. a small trian- 
gular cavity of a spoon-like shape, the exterior of 
which is smooth and glossy, while its inner surface 
is lined with strong close-set liairs. This cavity forms 
a kind of basket, destined to receive the pollen of 
flowers, one of the ingredients composing the food of 
the young. It receives also the propolis, a viscous 
substance, by which the combs are attached to the 
roof and walls of the hive, and by which any open- 
ings are stopped that might admit vermin or the cold. 
