liONSDOHP ON THE ANTENNA OF INSECTS. 



In describing, however truly, the properties of a sensation, they have 

 committed such mistakes, that I know not whether they have not 

 attempted to twist their experiments into crude conjectures and 

 opinions, as often as, on account of their desire of light in a matter 

 so involved in obscurity, they have thought it worth while to grapple 

 with the difficulties presented. For what can be farther removed from 

 common judgment and understanding than to suppose that the sense of 

 touch, taste, smell, or hearing, resides, where no traces are found of 

 ringers, of tongue, or of the organs of smell or hearing. In place of 

 these, organs of a very different structure may serve as substitutes, con- 

 tributing to form, in a few instances, the same sensations. It may be 

 considered, therefore, more as a conjecture to assert it as probable that 

 the antennae are the organs of one of the senses. 



They are either wholly ignorant, or have given erroneous descriptions 

 of the nature of the sense of touch, and the delicate sensibility that 

 organ exercises in ascertaining the external properties of bodies, who 

 suppose that the antennae are organs of touch, because, being erect, 

 insects sometimes seem to act by feeling gently with them. The 

 antennae being sheathed with a crusty shell, are on this account more 

 unfit for feeling ; for it is evident, that the nervous papillae cannot be 

 easily affected by bodies in contact with them, unless they are covered 

 with a very fine skin like the human hand. Nevertheless, the internal 

 structure of the antennae has that lower degree of sensibility which is 

 common to all the softer parts of animals ; and hence they may not 

 only admit, but even, perhaps, afford the means of discovering the pro- 

 perties of external bodies, since the membranes of the joints, in some 

 measure, compensate for the hardness of the exterior crust ; by the aid 

 of which, it is far from doubtful that they may be able, on account of 

 the greater or less stiffness and resistance of bodies, by striking or 

 otherwise touching them, to distinguish solid from hollow substances ; 

 moist from dry, heavy from light, hard from soft, and also such as 

 penetrate strongly and subtly ; for example, a great degree of heat and 

 cold, or substances of an irritating nature, and, among these, concentrated 

 acids, by all of which the joints of the antennae may be penetrated 

 and affected with a disagreeable sensation. 



For a like reason, it is not doubtful that the sense of taste cannot be 

 referred to the antennae, because they are distant from the mouth, and 

 without the moisture so necessary for dissolving the minute particles of 

 bodies requisite for exciting taste. But to set the matter in a clearer 

 point of view to the mind of every one, that no sensible impressions are 



