74 
HALF HOURS WITH INSECTS. [Packard. 
slender blades; the innermost, forming the sting proper, 
being barbed at the end so that when darted into the flesh 
of its victim it often remains and the bee stings but once. 
The poison gland or bag empties into the sting, the poison¬ 
ous fluid being forced by the pressure of the walls of the 
body upon the sac, there being apparently no special muscles 
Fig. 58. 
Ichneumon Fly. 
adapted for the purpose. The sting of the wasp is like that 
of the bee. The celebrated Reaumur, as quoted by M. 
Tandon, thus discourses on the effect of the sting of wasps 
on himself and his servant: “ Being stung by a wasp, I 
thought I might gain something from his infliction by bear¬ 
ing it with a good grace. I allowed the animal to wound 
10 
