The tongue (Plate II. Fig. 3), or proboscis, is a long slender projection, flattish in form, and about the thickness of a bristle. It has about forty cartilaginous rings, each of which is fringed with minute hairs, having also a small tuft of hair at its extremity, where it is somewhat serrated. In movement it is like the trunk of an elephant, and is susceptible of extension and contraction, bending and twisting in all directions; and by rolling about, it sweeps or laps up, by means of the fringes around it, everything to which it is applied. Thus, when a bee alights upon a flower, it pierces the petals and stamens, where the nectar is secreted, and deposits its collection on the tongue, from whence it passes into the gullet (Plate I. Fig. 2 _c_) at its base. At times, in building combs, the tongue is used as a trowel, with which the minute scales of wax are deposited in their appropriate places, and the desired finish is given to the cells. This organ has been denied by some to be a hollow tube, but this is not the view generally held, and it certainly does not act wholly by _handing_ up the food, for there is a furrow or gutter running along the whole length of its under side. Thus, when a bee is imbibing honey the rings of the abdomen have a vibratory motion similar to pumping, showing to the casual observer that suction is rapidly going on. Dr. Bevan tells us that the true tongue is an extremely minute object at the base of the maxillæ; but this appears to have been a mistake of his own. The labial palpi (Plate II. Fig. 3 _o_) rise from the base of each side of this lapping instrument, and are also ciliated exteriorly. They appear to serve as feelers to the mouth. Between these and the tongue are the two small sheaths or membranes called the paraglossæ; and outside of the same are the working portions of the lower jaw, or the maxillæ (Fig. 3 _n_), which are also provided with hairs and with two feelers midway known as maxillary palpi. When the jaws close on the tongue they form a sheath or defence thereto. With the mandibles of the upper jaw opening right and left, and the maxillæ of the lower, which serve to hold the object laboured upon, the insect prepares its work for the sweeping-up apparatus of the lower parts. Thus, when combs become mouldy, or in any way unfit receptacles for brood or honey, these tools provided by Nature serve the place of hands, and the bees are able to chop up in small pieces, and remove from their dwelling, whatever lumber of this kind may be offensive to them. They are applied also for opening the anthers of flowers. The whole of this apparatus, while perfect in action in an expanded state, can be folded or coiled together when not in use, so as to form one strong and well-protected instrument.