34 
THORAX, LEGS, AND WINGS. 
In the first pair of the worker bee the coxa, 
trochanter, and femur have feathered hairs, those of 
the last joint being the longest. The tibia is connected 
to the femur by a hinge-joint, 
and is covered with simple 
and feathered hairs. 
At the lower end of the 
tibia (Fig. i6, a, d) is a 
spine, k, to which is attached 
a velum, or sail, this being 
a small angular appendage 
fixed within the spine by its 
base. 
The palma (Fig. i6, A, e) is thickly covered with 
strong hairs, which act as brushes. 
Near the upper end, and on the inner side, there is 
a deep curved incision, called the simts, terminating in 
the strigilis, curry-comb, or pecten (/), so named from 
the comb of stiff chitinous hairs which fringes its edge. 
Upon this the velum can act at the will of the insect, 
and combined they form a circular orifice. This de- 
vice was illustrated and described by Kirby (76) in 
1802, and subsequently by Shuckard (152), Girdwoyn 
(49), and others. Its function is to keep the antennse 
clean, and free from pollen or other substances. 
When the insect wishes to clean one of the antennae, 
it lays it within the sinus of the palma, and then, 
pressing the velum of the spine upon it, removes, by 
the combined action of the comb and the velum, all 
excrescences and soilure from it ; and this process it 
repeats until satisfied with the cleanliness of the organ. 
Fig. 16. — Details of Legs 
of Worker. 
