8 
THE BUGOEOGIST 
tect themselves not only against giants—the people— 
but also against other insects or animals that might attack 
them. 
The little yellow creature that we see, is the Honey¬ 
bee. Most of these bees die when they lose their sting. 
Now what do you think it is that makes your hand 
swell so after being stung? In the body of the bee, 
behind the sting, is a little sac containing poison which 
runs into the sting. Thus the poison gets into the blood 
with the sting and causes the little blood-vessels to 
increase in size and we say the hand is swollen. 
Watch the bee very closely now while it “sucks 
honey,” as you say. See, how quick the little “trunk” 
moves up and down in the flower! But, I must tell you 
that this is not a trunk. It is a tongue, and the bee laps 
up the “honey” just as a cat or dog laps milk. This 
tongue is long and hairy, well suited for the purpose. 
Now, the “honey” that you sometimes found in 
clover is not honey; but the bee, after lapping it, turns 
it into honey. The sweet sap in the clover is called 
nectar. 
But nectar is not all that the bee gathers. Look at 
the legs. You will find, though they were black before, 
they are yellow now. The bee has covered them with 
a yellow dust from the flower, called pollen. 
