20 Transact whs. — Miscellaneous. 



in a number of minute cylinders and pits which are piaced 

 on the antennae and on the palpi. The evidence obtained 

 from experiments is somewhat conflicting as between the 

 antennas and the palpi ; but, if the sense of smell is supposed 

 to reside partly in each of these appendages, the results of 

 the various observations are brought into accord. In connec- 

 tion with this subject the following observation, which I made 

 on the 4th September, 1882, on a specimen of one of our 

 common butterflies (Vanessa gonerilla), may be of some in- 

 terest : At 9 a.m. I placed some moistened sugar in a small 

 china colour-pan about tf-in. square. The butterfly was 

 rather torpid owing to the low temperature, and I therefore 

 removed it from the cage and placed it on the edge of the 

 vessel containing the sugar. Almost at once it began to 

 uncoil its proboscis, and whilst doing so it steadily elevated 

 and depressed its antennas, the tips of which frequently 

 touched the sides of the vessel. Sometimes each antenna 

 was elevated and depressed singly ; at other times both 

 organs were moved together. These remarkable movements 

 of the antennas were, I think, merely indicative of the insect's 

 pleasure, and this explanation is supported by the observa- 

 tions of Sir John Lubbock respecting the movements of the 

 antennas in ants. When the butterfly had completely un- 

 coiled its proboscis it felt all round the vessel with the 

 sensitive extremity of that organ, which certainly appeared 

 to be endowed with the sense of smell. Soon it found the 

 liquid sugar, which it eagerly sucked for about three minutes ; 

 and during the whole of this time the butterfly continued to 

 move the antennas in the manner above described. As soon 

 as the insect ceased feeding, however, the antennas were re- 

 stored to their normal position — i.e., almost perpendicular to 

 the main axis of the insect's body. After this I made several 

 very sharp noises — whistling, and ringing on a tumbler — but 

 the butterfly did not appear to hear them, and the antennas 

 were held perfectly motionless throughout. This experiment 

 appears to indicate, I think, that in butterflies the sense of 

 smell is situated in or near the extremity of the proboscis, 

 and that the sense of hearing is absent or but little de- 

 veloped. I have often tried to frighten butterflies in the field 

 by shouting at them, but have never succeeded in making 

 one of these insects rise from its perch in this way, although 

 the slightest movement on the part of the observer would at 

 once have caused the insect to take flight. 



The following are some of the experiments related by 

 Lord Avebury in connection with testing the organs of 

 smelling in insects. He says, " I myself took a large ant 

 (Formica ligniperda) and tethered her on a board by a 

 thread. When she was quite quiet I tried her with tuning- 



