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in the collection of honey for their master’s table, or 
in the collection of bee bread and in breeding an addi- 
tional force. 
THE WORKERS. 
The workers, or common bees, are those seen on 
flowers ; they are the smallest bees in the hive, furnish- 
ed with a tongue or proboscis, with which they obtain 
the honey from the flowers and convey it to their hon- 
ey-bag. This receptacle is of the size of a small pea, 
and is surrounded with muscles which enables the bee 
to compress it and empty its contents through the pro- 
boscis into the cell. 
The hindmost legs of the workers are provided with 
a spoon-shaped hollow or basket to receive the bee- 
bread as soon as gathered from the flowers. 
Every worker is armed with a sting — its point is 
barbed like the point of an arrow, and therefore it can 
seldom withdraw it. In losing the sting ft parts with a 
part of its intestines and will soon perish. Through the 
entire length of the sting is a groove connecting with 
a bag filled with poison and serves to convey the poison 
to the wound. 
Every worker is provided with pouches for secreting 
wax ; these pouches are situated under the rings of their 
abdomen. All the work, as gathering, building of 
