ORGAN OF SMELL. 71 



phor laid before the entrance of their hive, I tried the 

 effect of bringing some camphor towards their mouths 

 while their tongues were plunged into some honey- 

 placed on a card. All of them took flight, but after 

 flying about for some time, they ventured to alight 

 near the honey. While they were tempted again to 

 try it, I threw some bits of camphor on the surface. 

 They drew back a little, still keeping the tip of their 

 tongues amongst the honey, and carefully avoided 

 the camphor. One vibrated its wings as it fed, while 

 some were less affected, and others not at all ; but 

 when I covered the honey entirely with camphor, 

 they all instantly flew away. I had this card carried 

 to my hives, while some honey was put on another 

 clean one within reach of the bees. The latter was 

 soon discovered, and the honey consumed in a few 

 minutes ; but an hour elapsed before a single bee 

 came near the camphorated card, when, at length, 

 two ventured to alight on it, and thrust their tongues 

 into the edge of a drop of honey. Others followed, 

 and two hours after it was covered with them, and 

 all the honey consumed, the camphor alone remain- 

 ing, whence it was proved, that the attraction of 

 honey overcomes their repugnance to the smell of 

 camphor.'* 



Huber also tried the effect of alcohol upon 

 bees shut up in a close vessel. Having allowed a 

 small glass of spirits of wine to evaporate under a 

 receiver, he placed in it a bee that had just been sa- 

 tiated with honey. It endeavoured to escape, and 

 vibrated its wings incessantly for an hour, when a 

 continued tremor of the limbs, the wings, and the 

 sucker became perceptible, and, at length, unable to 

 stand, it lay down on its back, and began to use its 

 wings like oars or feet, at the same time disgorging 

 all the honey it had previously swallowed. Window 



* Huber on Bees, p. 267. 



