PACKARD] MENTAL POWERS OF EN^SECTS. 375 



back. Are not the mental processes the same in kind, how- 

 ever different in degree? 



"But,'' sa3's our author, from wliom we have borrowed the 

 suggestions just made, "the most striking fact evincing tlie 

 memor\^ of these last mentioned insects has been commu- 

 nicated to me by my intelligent friend, Mr. William SticI;- 

 ne}', of Ridgcmont, Ilolderness. About twenty years ago a 

 swarm from one of this gentleman's hives took possession 

 of an opening beneath the tiles of his house, Avhence, after 

 remaining a few hours, they were dislodged and hived. For 

 many subsequent years, when the hives descended from this 

 stock were about to swarm, a considerable party of scouts 

 were observed for a few days before to be reconnoitring 

 about the old hole under the tiles, and Mr. Stickney is per- 

 suaded, that if suffered they would have established them- 

 selves there. He is certain that for eight 3"ears successively 

 the descendants of the very stock that first took possession 

 of the hole frequented it as above stated, and not those of 

 any other swarms ; having constantly noticed them, and as- 

 certained that they were bees from the original hive by 

 powdering them while about the tiles with yellow ochre, and 

 watching their return. And even at the present tiuie, there 

 are still seen every swarming season about the tiles, bees, 

 which Mr. Stickney has no doubt are descendants from the 

 original stock. 



"Had Dr. Darwin* been acquainted with this fact, ho 

 would have adduced it as proving that insects can convey 

 traditionary information from one generation to another ; 

 and at the first glance tlie circumstance of the descendants 

 of the same stock retaining a knowledge of tlie same fact for 

 twenty years, during which period there must have been as 

 many generations of bees, would seem to warrant the iufer- 

 ence. But as it is more prol)able that the party of survey- 



*Dr. Erasmus Darwin, Uie graiulfatlier of the author of tlic '•Origiu of 

 Species." 



23 



