16 
EXTERNAL SKELETON. 
less with hairs (Fig. 5), and many of them spring 
from bulbs or roots connected with nerves. These 
hairs are composed of chitine, and in this respect they 
Fig. 5. — Hairs. 
differ from ordinary hairs. In structure and length 
they vary considerably. Some are very short and 
others long, some straight and pointed, other feathery, 
and their uses are different. Whilst some act as 
organs of touch, and are called tactile, others are con- 
structed for collecting and retaining pollen (Fig. 5, 
or for taking up minute quantities of liquids (Fig. 5, e). 
Again, there are others which act as brushes, and some 
that serve for protection and clothing. 
The feathery hairs (Fig 5, d) consist of a shaft 
(scapus) and feathers {radii). The hairs on the drone 
are much coarser than those on either a queen or 
worker. 
' At some seasons black shiny bees are found, and 
formerly it was supposed that they were different from 
the others, but these only appear black from the loss 
of their hairs. The feathery hairs easily lose their 
