GENERAL HISTORY OF BEES. 
37 
In repose, the posterior part of the trunk lies along 
the lower part of the mouth, and the anterior part is 
folded back upon it, when it is covered by the maxillae, 
which then seem to form a portion of it. It has further 
another interior envelope; these are the two first joints 
of the labial palpi (in the Apidcs), which are entirely 
membranous, and these in repose cling closely to the 
tongue laterally. 
The bee would certainly not collect its honey diffe¬ 
rently from a flower than it would from a glass wherein 
it might be placed to observe the process; and here it 
never appeared to obtain the honey by suction. The bee 
was never observed to place the end of its tongue in the 
drop of syrup, as it would necessarily do if it were requi¬ 
site to imbibe it through what seems the small aperture at 
the extremity of the knob, at the end of the tongue, pre¬ 
viously described. As soon as the bee finds itself near 
the spot spread with honey or syrup, it extends its 
tongue a line or so beyond the end of the palpi, which 
continue to envelope it throughout the rest of its 
length. If the honey be spread over the glass, the an¬ 
terior portion of the tongue, which is exposed, is turned 
round that its superior surface may be applied to the 
glass. There this portion does precisely what the 
tongue of any animal would do in lapping a liquid. 
This tongue repeatedly rubs the glass, and, moving 
about with astonishing rapidity, it makes hundreds of 
different inflexions. 
If the drop of syrup presented to the bee be thicker, or 
if it meet with a drop of honey, it then thrusts the ante¬ 
rior portion of its tongue into the liquid, but apparently 
only to use it as a dog might do its tongue in lapping milk 
or water. Even in the drop of honey the bee bends the 
