“passes round the tongue to the back, where its edges do not meet, but are continuous with a very thin plaited membrane (_G_, _pm_) covered with minute hairs. This membrane, after passing towards the sides of the tongue, returns to the angle of the nucleus, or rod, over the under surface of which it is probably continued. The rod passes through the tongue from end to end, gradually tapering towards its extremity, and is best studied in the queen, where I trace many nerve threads and cells. It is undoubtedly endowed with voluntary movement, and must be partly muscular, although I have failed completely in getting any evidence of striation. The rod on the underside has a gutter, or trough-like hollow (_cd_, the central duct) which is formed into a pseudotube (false tube) by intercrossing of black hairs. It will also be seen that, by the posterior meeting of the sheath, the space between the folded membrane (_G_, _sd_) becomes two pseudotubes of larger size, which I shall call the side ducts. [Illustration: FIG. 85.—Head of honey bee, worker: _a_, antenna; _g_, epipharynx; _m_, mandible; _mx_, maxilla; _mxp_, maxillary palpus; _pg_, paraglossa; _lp_, labial palpus; _l_, hypopharynx; _b_, its spoon.—After Cheshire; from Bull. Div. Ent. U. S. Dept. Agr. ] “These central and side ducts run down to that part of the tongue where the spoon, or bouton (_K_, Fig. 86) is placed. This is provided with very delicate split hairs (_b_, Fig. 86) capable of brushing up the most minute quantity of nectar, which by capillarity is at once transferred by the gathering hairs (which are here numerous, long, and thin) to two side groove-like forms at the back of the bouton, and which are really the opened-out extremity of the centre and side ducts, assuming, immediately above the bouton, the form seen in _F_, Fig. 86. The central duct, which is only from 1⁄600 inch to 1⁄1000 inch in diameter, because of its smaller size, and so greater capillary attraction, receives the nectar, if insufficient in quantity to fill the side ducts. But good honey-yielding plants would bring both centre and side ducts into requisition. The nectar is sucked up until it reaches the paraglossæ (_pa_, _B_, Fig. 86), which are plate-like in front, but membranous extensions, like small aprons, behind; and by these the nectar reaches the front of the tongue, to be swallowed as before described.” [Illustration: