3^8 REMARKS ON INSBCTS. 



scooped out by a bird, but the head still appears perfectly active, 

 and able to discharge its usual offices. From the nervous system 

 it is that we are enabled to form an idea of the senses of animals, 

 because the nerves obey the impulses given at the seat of volition, 

 and convey the sensation to the external matter ; hence it is com- 

 monly observed of an individual who displays some unaccountable 

 antipathy to the roar of cannon, the levelled bayonet, or any other 

 apparent or fancied danger, that he is a little nervous. The ques- 

 tion then arises as to the senses of insects under their nervous 

 system. That love penetrates their coriaceous covering there can 

 be no doubt, and if the glow-worm, like another Hero, does not 

 light her' nocturnal lamp as a signal for her lover, it is unknown 

 for what other purpose the fairy light can be employed. — 



" Queen of the dusky eve she pensive jrlides, 

 A train of ^lory gleaming from her sides ; 

 Where'er she turns appears the vivid ray 

 That cheers the ling'ring lover's weary way." 



Perhaps this is confirmed by the fact that glow-worms seldom 

 stray far from their usual haunts ; for I know situations where, in 

 the summer season, numbers may be found, with certainty, gem- 

 ming the turfy bank every evening, while they are unseen in other 

 places for miles round. 



Instinct, or some stronger sense almost allied to reasoning, 

 certainly appears in insects 3 for a female moth, confined in a box 

 within a room to which there was no apparent access, has been 

 found by some unknown means to cause the visit of a companion, 

 who was obliged to descend down the chimney -, and nothing is 

 more common among entomologists than to capture other moths 

 by enclosing one in a box, and leaving the window open that its 

 situation may attract the sympathy of others of its species. In- 

 sects, then, it is evident, are able to receive and communicate 

 information to each other, and Dr. Franklin relates a story which 

 is a very remarkable illustration of this point. Having placed a 

 pot containing treacle in a closet infested with ants, these insects 

 found their way into it, and were feasting heartily when he dis- 

 covered them. He then shook them out, and suspended the pot 

 by a string from the ceiling. I5y chance, one ant remained, which 

 after eating its fill, with some difficulty found its way up the string, 

 and thence reaching the ceiling, escaped by the wall to its nest. 

 In less than half an hour a great number of ants sallied out of their 

 hole, climbed the ceiling, and descended the string into the treacle- 

 pot, directed no doubt by the ant who had conveyed intelligence to 

 his friends of the only way of access to the booty. Ants are fully 

 sensible of the advantages of combination to give effect to what 

 their individual efforts would be unequal, and I once witnessed a 

 curious instance of this unity of purpose in the common brown ant 

 (F.fusca.) A garden spider having crossed their path, they seized 

 him by the only practicable method — one ant fcistening himself at 

 the extremity of each of the spider's long legs, like so many sailors 



