POLLEN 
661 
branched hairs, which on the plantae of 
the hind leg’s has become modified into a 
regular series of transverse combs. The 
palmar brushes of the fore-legs take away 
the mass of wet pollen - from the mouth 
parts, and collect the dry pollen from the 
pubescence on the head. 
The metatarsal brushes of the middle 
legs receive the pollen from the first pair 
of legs and transfer it to the plantar 
brushes of the hind legs. This transfer is 
effected by drawing each of the middle 
legs between the plantae of the hind legs, 
In this way the pollen on each middle leg 
is scraped off on the pollen combs of each 
groove on the outer side of the tibia. It is 
broadest at the lower end and is nearly 
surrounded by a salient rim. On the front 
edge of the tibia there is a fringe of hairs 
overarching the pollen-basket, and on the 
hind edge a. row of hairs slanting back¬ 
ward. The floor of the basket is nearly 
smooth except for a few small spines near 
the entrance. The moistened pollen is held 
in position largely by its adhesiveness. The 
lower end of the tibia, except the articula¬ 
tion, is truncated, slightly concave, and 
fringed along its inner margin, with 15 to 
21 stiff spines, inclined backward, called 
the pecten. Immediately below the flat- 
Fjq 6—4 k ee upon the wing, showing the position of the midcfle legs when they touch 
and pat down the pollen masses. A very slight amount of pollen reaches the corbiculae 
thru this movement.—Bulletin No-. 121, Bureau of Entomology. 
opposite hind leg. The middle legs also 
brush off the pollen entangled in the 
hair on the thorax, which is moistened 
by coining in contact with the wet pollen 
from the mouth parts. The middle legs 
are further used to pat down and compact 
the growing pollen mass in the pollen- 
baskets. 
The hind legs are very highly specialized 
for carrying the pollen masses. The tibia 
is dilated at its lower extremity and the 
metatarsal segments ( plantae ) are much 
thinner and wider than the corresponding 
segments of the fore and middle legs. The 
pollen-basket or corbicula is a longitudinal 
tened end of the tibia on the upper edge of 
the planta is the auricle. The ear-shaped 
structure is concave and covered with short 
spines. Its inner edge, when the leg is 
straightened, slips along the spines of the 
pecten, while its outer edge, which is fringed 
with hairs, projects into the entrance of-the 
pollen-basket. The ends of the tibia and the 
auricle have the appearance of a pair of 
jaws or pincers; and in the older works on 
bee culture are erroneously described as 
being used for taking scales of wax from 
the Avax-pockets. The inner side of the 
planta, or metatarsus, is covered Avitli about 
eleven transverse rows of stiff spines Avhich 
