THE SENSE OF TASTE AND GUSTATORY ORGANS. 631 



last and finest experiment, I placed before them a concentrated 

 solution of sugar-candy. They smelt and tasted it, and yet, 

 although they had been kept several hours without food, they 

 would not feed upon it. I cut off their antennas, when they 

 took it in small quantity, but soon left it, although they took 

 pure honey with avidity.' 



Will's experiments with Wasps are exceedingly interesting. 

 He placed coarsely-powdered white sugar on a paper in the 

 open air, and after allowing them to feed on it for some 

 hours, he replaced it by powdered alum. 'This the Wasps 

 attempted to take, but scarcely had they tasted it than they 

 started back in the drollest manner and cleaned their tongues 

 repeatedly with their fore-feet to rid themselves of the disgust- 

 ing substance. 



' Their first sad experience did not, however, prevent their 

 making a second trial, with similar results, after which 

 most of them flew away. One pair of obtuse individuals, 

 however, persisted in trials of the alum ; but when they had 

 taken a certain amount they rolled themselves upon the table, 

 evidently in the greatest discomfort/ although they also flew 

 away sooner than he expected. 



Other Wasps came, but by three o'clock in the afternoon 

 long before these insects are accustomed to give up work 

 no more came to taste the alum. 



Bibliography : 



301. WOLF, C. J. B., ' Das Riechorgan der Biene.' Nova Acta. d. K.L C. 

 Akad., Bd. xxxviii., 1875. 



302. JOSEPH, G., 'Zur Morphologic des Geschmacks-organesbei Insekten.' 

 Amt. Bericht. der 50 Versammlung deutscher Naturforsch. u. Arzte 

 in Miinchen, 1877. 



303. KUNKEL ET GAZAGNAIRE, 'Du sie"ge de la gustation chezles insectes 

 dipteres.' Comptes Rendus, Bd. xcv., 1881. 



304. FOREL, A., ' Etudes myrmecologique.' Bull. Soc. Vaud. Sc. Nat., 



torn, xx., 1884. 



305. WILL, F., 'Das Geschmacks-organ der Insekten.' Zeitsch. f. w. Zool., 

 Bd. xlii., 1885. 



This paper is one of the most interesting contributious to the better 

 understanding of the senses in insects with which I am acquainted, and 

 should be studied by every young naturalist. It is a model of research 

 and experiment. 



