NOISES OF INSECTS. 389 



the friction of the tongue and palpi ^ : but as he has not 

 stated his reasons for this opinion, I think his assertion 

 that he has ascertained this cannot be allowed to coun- 

 tervail Reaumur's experiments. 



I must next say a few words upon the angry chidings 

 of our little creatures ; for their anger sometimes vents 

 itself in sounds. I have often been amused with 

 hearing the indignant tones of a humble-bee while lying 

 upon its back. When I held my finger to it, it kicked 

 and scolded with all its might. Hive-bees when irritated 

 emit a shrill and peevish sound, continuing even when 

 they are held under water, which John Hunter says vi- 

 brates at the point of contact with the air-holes at the 

 root of their wings ''. This sound is particularly sharp 

 and angry when they fly at an intrudei*. The same 

 sounds, or very similar ones, tell us when a wasp is of- 

 fended, and we may expect to be stung ; — but this pas- 

 sion of anger in insects is so nearly connected with their 

 fear, that I need not enlarge further upon it. 



Concerning their shouts of joy and cries of sorrow I 

 have little to record : that pleasure or pain makes a dif- 

 ference in the tones of vocal insects is not improbable ; 

 but our auditory organs are not fine enough to catch all 

 their different modulations. When Schirach had once 

 smoked a hive to oblige the bees to retire to the top of 

 it, the queen v/ith some of the rest flew away. Upon 

 this, those that remained in the hive sent forth a most 

 plaintive sound, as if they were all deploring their loss ; 

 when their sovereign was restored to them, these lugu- 

 brious sounds were succeeded by an agreeable humming, 



" Kouv. O/js. ii. :m), note *. ' In r/ii/<j.s. Trails. 179^'. 



