Behavior of the Honey Bee in Pollen Collecting, The

<h2><SPAN name="ACTION_OF_THE_MIDDLE_LEGS" id="ACTION_OF_THE_MIDDLE_LEGS"></SPAN>ACTION OF THE MIDDLE LEGS.</h2> <p>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 corbicul�. Most of the pollen of the middle legs is gathered upon the conspicuous brushes of the first tarsal segments or plant� of these legs.</p> <div class="fig_center" style="width:599px"> <SPAN name="fig5" id="fig5"></SPAN> <ANTIMG src="images/fig_5.png" width-obs="599" height-obs="393" alt="" title="" /> <p class="fig_caption"><span class="smcap">Fig. 5.</span>&mdash;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.)</p> </div> <p>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 <span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_15" id="Page_15"></SPAN></span> 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 long, branched hairs which cover this region become quite moist and sticky, since the brushes of these two pair of legs are wet and the pollen which they bear possesses a superabundance of the moistening fluid. Any dry pollen which passes over this region and touches these hairs receives moisture by contact with them. This is particularly true of the free dry pollen which the middle pair of legs collect by combing over the sides of the thorax.</p> <div class="fig_center" style="width:546px"> <SPAN name="fig6" id="fig6"></SPAN> <ANTIMG src="images/fig_6.png" width-obs="546" height-obs="369" alt="" title="" /> <p class="fig_caption"><span class="smcap">Fig. 6.</span>&mdash;A bee upon the wing, showing the position of the middle legs when they touch and pat down the pollen masses. A very slight amount of pollen reaches the corbicul� through this movement. (Original.)</p> </div> <p>The pollen upon the middle legs is transferred to the hind legs in at least two ways. By far the larger amount is deposited upon the pollen combs which lie on the inner surfaces of the plant� of the hind legs. To accomplish this a middle leg is placed between the plant� of the two hind legs, which are brought together so as to grasp the brush of the middle leg, pressing it closely between them, but allowing it to be drawn toward the body between the pollen combs of the two hind legs. (See <SPAN href="#fig5">fig. 5</SPAN>.) This action results in the transference of the pollen from the middle-leg brush to the pollen combs of the hind leg of the opposite side, since the combs of that leg scrape over the pollen-laden brush of the middle leg. This action may take place while the bee is on the wing or before it leaves the flower.</p> <p>The middle legs place a relatively small amount of pollen directly upon the pollen masses in the corbicul�. This is accomplished when the brushes of the middle legs are used to pat down the pollen masses and to render them more compact. (See <SPAN href="#fig6">fig. 6</SPAN>.) The legs are used <span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_16" id="Page_16"></SPAN></span> for this purpose quite often during the process of Loading the baskets, and a small amount of pollen is incidentally added to the masses when the brushes come into contact with them. A misinterpretation of this action has led some observers into the erroneous belief that all or nearly all of the corbicular pollen is scraped from the middle-leg brushes by the hairs which fringe the sides of the baskets. The middle legs do not scrape across the baskets, but merely pat downward upon the pollen which is there accumulating.</p> <p>It is also possible that, in transferring pollen from the middle leg of one side to the planta of the opposite hind leg, the middle-leg brush may touch and rub over the pecten of the hind leg and thus directly place some of its pollen behind the pecten spines. Such a result is, however, very doubtful.</p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />