38 
BRITISH BEES. 
end of its tongue about, and lengthens and shortens it 
successively, and, indeed, withdraws it from moment to 
moment. We then observe it not merely lengthen and 
shorten this end, but it is also seen to curve it about, 
causing from time to time the superior surface to become 
concave,—to give, as it were, to the liquid with which 
it is loaded a downward inclination towards the head. 
In fact, this portion of the trunk appears to act as a 
tongue, and not as a pump. Indeed its extremity, 
where the aperture for receiving the liquid is assumed 
to be, is repeatedly above the surface of the liquid which 
the insect is lapping. 
By these continuous motions this anterior extremity 
of the tongue charges itself with the nectareous fluid, 
and conveys it to the mouth. It is along the upper 
surface of this pilose tongue that the liquid passes. 
The bee strives especially to load and cover it with 
honey. In shortening the tongue to the extent, some¬ 
times, of withdrawing it entirely beneath its sheaths, it 
conveys and deposits the liquid with which it is charged 
within a sort of channel, formed by the upper surface of 
the tongue and the sheaths which fold over it. Thus, 
these sheaths are, perhaps, less for the purpose of covering 
the tongue than to form and cover the channel by which 
the liquid is conveyed to the mouth. I have previously 
remarked that the trunk can swell and contract; these 
swellings and constrictions are observed to succeed each 
other, and may be for the purpose of urging the liquid, 
already in transit beneath the sheaths, forward towards 
the true mouth. Further, I moved the sheaths aside 
from their position above the tongue of a bee which I 
held in my fingers, and I succeeded, by means of the 
point of a pin, in placing an extremely small drop of 
