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.

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.)

In taking pollen from a foreleg the middle leg of the same side is extended in a forward direction and is either grasped by the flexed foreleg or rubbed over the foreleg as it is bent downward and backward. In the former movement the foreleg flexes sharply upon itself until the tarsal brush and coxa nearly meet. The collecting brush of the middle leg is now thrust in between the tarsus and coxa of the foreleg and wipes off some of the pollen from the foreleg brush. The middle leg brush is then raised and combs down over the flexed foreleg, thus removing additional pollen from the outer surface of this leg. The middle leg also at times reaches far forward, stroking down over the foreleg before it is entirely flexed and apparently combing over with its tarsal brush the face and mouthparts themselves. When the middle leg reaches forward to execute any of the above movements the direction of the stroke is outward, forward, and then back toward the body, the action ending with the brush of the leg in contact with the long hairs of the breast and with those which spring from the proximal segments of the forelegs (coxa, trochanter, femur). As a result of the oft-repeated contact of the brushes of the middle and forelegs with the breast, the