Reproduction
Object numberRCSHC/477
Scientific nameBombus terrestris
CollectionHunterian
CategoryWet preparations
Object nameGastrointestinal tract, Organs of Digestion - Stomach and Similar Parts, Mounted wet tissue
DescriptionThe fragmented gastrointestinal tract of a bee.
Production date Estimated 1760 - Estimated 1793
Preparator
Owner/user
presented
Related objectsRCSHC/601RCSHC/605RCSHC/603RCSHC/476
Physical Location
LocationOn display in the Hunterian Museum, Room 4: The Long Gallery
Physical Information
Physical descriptionWet preparation of tissue mounted in an oval glass jar with glass lid.
Materialglass (material)
Bombus
Dimensions
whole height: 136 mm
whole width: 116 mm
whole depth: 62 mm
whole weight: 914 g
whole width: 116 mm
whole depth: 62 mm
whole weight: 914 g
Bibliography
SourceDobson 1970-71
Transcript477 E.: The alimentary canal of a Bee, in fragments. 'Of the parts concerned in the nourishment of the Bee. 'Animals which only swallow food for themselves, or whose alimentary organs are fitted wholly for their own nourishment, have them adapted to that use only; but in many, these organs are common for more purposes, as in the pigeon, and likewise in the bee. In this last, some of the parts are used as a temporary reservoir, holding both that which is for the immediate nourishment of the animal, and also that which is to be preserved for a future day, in the cells formerly described; this last portion is therefore thrown up again, or regurgitated. As it is the labourers alone in the common bee that are so employed we might conceive this reservoir would belong only to them; but both the queen and males, both in the common and humble bee, have it, as also, I believe, everyone of the bee tribe. 'As the bee is a remarkable instance of regurgitation, it is necessary the structure of the parts concerned in this operation, and which are also connected with digestion, should be well considered. Ruminating animals may be reckoned regurgitating animals, but in them it is for the purpose of digestion entirely in themselves. But many birds may be called regurgitating animals, and in them it is for the purpose of feeding their young. Crows fill their fauces, making a kind of craw out of which they throw back the food when the feed their young; but the most remarkable is the dove tribe, who first fill their craw, and then throw it up into the beak of their young. The bee has this power to a remarkable degree, not however, for the purpose of feeding the young, but it is the mode of depositing their store in the cells when brought home. 'In none of the above-mentioned regurgitating animals are the reservoirs containing the food the immediate organ of digestion; nor does the reservoir for the honey in the bee appear to be its stomach. ... 'The oesophagus, in all this tribe of insects, begins just at the root of the tongue, as in other animals, covered anteriorly by a horny scale, which terminates the head, and which may be called the upper lip or the roof of the mouth. It passes down through the neck and thorax, and when got into the abdomen, it immediately dilates into a fine transparent bag, which is the immediate receiver of whatever is swallowed. From this the food (whatever it be) is either carried further on into the stomach to be digested, or is regurgitated for other purposes. To ascertain this in some degree in living bees, I caught them going out early in the morning, and found this bag quite empty: some time after I caught others returning home and found the bag quite full of honey, and some of it had got into the stomach. Now I suppose that which was in the craw was for the purpose of regurgitation, and as probably they had fasted during the night, part had gone on further for digestion. Whatever time the contents of this reservoir may be retained, we never find them altered, so as to give the idea of digestion having taken place: it is pure honey. From this bag the contents can be moved either way; either downwards to the stomach, for the immediate use of the animal itself, or back again, to be thrown out as store for future aliment. 'The stomach arises from the lower end and a little on the right side of this bag. It does not gradually contract into a stomach, nor is the outlet a passage directly out, but in the centre of a projection which enters some way into the reservoir, being rather an inverted pylorus, thickest at its most projecting part, with a very small opening in the centre, of a peculiar construction. This inward projecting part is easily seen through the coats of the reservoir, especially if full of honey. 'The stomach begins immediately on the outside of the reservoir, and the same part which projects into the reservoir is continued some way into the stomach, but appears to have no particular construction at this end, and therefore it is only fitted to prevent regurgitation into the reservoir, as such would spoil the honey. This construction of parts is well adapted for the purpose, for the end projecting into the reservoir prevents any honey from getting into the stomach, because it acts there as a valve; therefore whatever is taken in must be by an action of this valvular part. The stomach has a good deal the appearance of a gut, especially as it seems to come out from a bag. It passes almost directly downwards in the middle of the abdomen. Its inner surface is very much increased, by having either circular valves, somewhat like the valvulae conniventes in the human jejunum, or spiral folds, as in the intestine of the shark, &c; these may be seen through the external coats. In this part the food undergoes the change. Where the stomach terminates is not exactly to be ascertained, but it soon begins to throw itself into convolutions and becomes smaller. 'The intestine makes two or three twists upon itself, in which part it is enveloped in the ducts, constituting the liver and probably the pancreas, and at last passes on straight to the termination of the abdomen. Here it is capable of becoming very large, to serve upon occasion as a reservoir, containing a large quantity of excrement; it then contracts a little, and opens under the posterior edge of the last scale of the back, above the sting in the female and labourers, and the penis in the male.' John Hunter, Observations on Bees, Works, vol. iv, p. 454.
SourceHunter 'Works'
Vol. 4, page 454.
