ORGAN OF HEARING. 107 



seeing me, it receded. Upon my making a slight 

 but distinct noise, its antennee started : I repeated the 

 noise several times, and invariably with the same 

 effect. A beetle {Hmyalus), which I was holding in 

 my hand, answered the sound in the same manner 

 repeatedly. I will now mention another eflJect that I 

 observed, still more remarkable. A little moth was 

 reposing upon my window ; I made a quiet, not loud, 

 but distinct noise : the antenna nearest to me im- 

 mediately moved towards me. I repeated the noise 

 at least a dozen times, and it was followed every 

 time by the same motion of that organ ; till at length 

 the insect, being alarmed, became more agitated and 

 violent in its motions. In this instance, it could not 

 be touch ; since the antenna was not applied to g, 

 surface, but directed towards the quarter from which 

 the sound came, as if to listen.' It is necessary, 

 however, to remark, that there is a want of pre- 

 cision in these experiments, as no precautions are 

 mentioned to have been taken to hide the cause of 

 the noise from the eyes of the insect, 



^ It has been used as an argument,' he continues, 

 ^that the antennae are primarily tactors or instru- 

 ments of touch, that a four-winged parasite fly 

 (Fcenus jaculator^ Fabr), before it inserts its ovipo- 

 sitor, plunges its antennae into the hole forming the 

 nidus of the bee, to the grub of which it commits its 

 egg. But had those who used this argument mea- 

 sured the antennse and the ovipositor of this ich- 

 neumon, they would have discovered that the latter 

 is thrice the length of the former : and as these in- 

 sects generally insert it, so that even part of the 

 abdomen enters the hole, it is clear that the antennae- 

 cannot touch the larva ; its object therefore cannot be 

 to explore by that sense. Others suppose that by 

 these organs it scents out the destined nidus for its 

 eggs ; but Lehmann has satisfactorily proved that 

 they are not olfactory organs. We can therefore only 



