ACTION OF THE FORELEGS AND MOUTHPARTS. Although the pollen of some plants appears to be somewhat sticky, it may be stated that as a general rule pollen can not be successfully manipulated and packed in the baskets without the addition of some fluid substance, preferably a fluid which will cause the grains to cohere. This fluid, the nature of which will be considered later, comes from the mouth of the bee, and is added to the pollen which is collected by the mouthparts and to that which is brought into contact with the protruding tongue and maxillæ, and, as will appear, this fluid also becomes more generally distributed upon the legs and upon the ventral surface of the collecting bee. When a bee is collecting from the flowers of corn the mandibles are actively engaged in seizing, biting, and scraping the anthers as the bee crawls over the pendent stamens. Usually, but not always, the tongue is protruded and wipes over the stamens, collecting pollen and moistening the grains thus secured. Some of the pollen may possibly be taken into the mouth. All of the pollen which comes in contact with the mouthparts is thoroughly moistened, receiving more fluid than is necessary for rendering the grains cohesive. This exceedingly wet pollen is removed from the mouthparts by the forelegs (fig. 5), and probably the middle legs also secure a little of it directly, since they sometimes brush over the lower surface of the face and the mouth. In addition to removing the very moist pollen from the mouth the forelegs also execute cleansing movements over the sides of the head and neck and the anterior region of the thorax, thereby collecting upon their brushes a considerable amount of pollen which has fallen directly upon these regions, and this is added to the pollen moistened from the mouth, thereby becoming moist by contact. The brushes of the forelegs also come in contact with the anterior breast region, and the hairs which cover this area become moist with the sticky exudation which the forelegs have acquired in the process of wiping pollen from the tongue, maxillæ, and mandibles. ACTION OF THE MIDDLE LEGS. The middle legs are used to collect the pollen gathered by the forelegs and mouthparts, to remove free pollen from the thoracic region, and to transport their load of pollen to the hind legs, placing most of it upon the pollen combs of these legs, although a slight amount is directly added to the pollen masses in the corbiculæ. Most of the pollen of the middle legs is gathered upon the conspicuous brushes of the first tarsal segments or plantæ of these legs. [Illustration: Fig. 5.--A flying bee, showing the manner in which the forelegs and middle legs manipulate pollen. The forelegs are removing wet pollen from the mouthparts and face. The middle leg of the right side is transferring the pollen upon its brush to the pollen combs of the left hind planta. A small amount of pollen has already been placed in the baskets. (Original.)]