The Life of the Individual 
111 
Feeding of larvae. 
The feeding of the larvae is one of the most ardently dis¬ 
puted questions in bee activity. The chief controversy 
arises over the source of the food, some authors claiming 
that it is a secretion of glands, while others maintain that it 
is regurgitated from the ventriculus. The heat of contro¬ 
versy seems to have hidden from view the fact that this 
can be determined only by investigation. An explanation 
of the two current views involves some study of the 
glands emptying into the alimentary canal and of the 
ventriculus. 
There are in the head 
of the worker bee, two 
systems of glands (Fig. 
59), the lateral pharyn¬ 
geal (supracerebral of 
Bordas, System No. 1 
of Cheshire) (1GI) and 
the salivary glands of 
the head (postcerebral 
of Bordas, System No. 
2 of Cheshire) {2GI), and 
in the thorax are found 
the salivary glands of 
the thorax (thoracic sal¬ 
ivary of Bordas, System No. 3 of Cheshire) (Fig. 60, 
SGI). The ducts of the two systems of salivary glands 
unite into one median tube which enters the base of 
the labium and opens upon the upper surface of the 
ligula. These glands are homologous with the salivary 
glands of other insects and presumably their secretions 
assist in digestion although their exact function is un¬ 
known. They are found in queens, drones and workers. 
The lateral pharyngeal glands (JGI) are absent in the drone 
and never more than rudimentary in the queen, and this 
leads to the conclusion that they function in some way which 
is especially useful to the worker. They are claimed by 
Fig. 59. — Median longitudinal section of 
head of worker, showing the glands 
(IOf and SGI). 
