PLATYPHORA LUBBOCKil. 



435 



wing; third veinlet slightly undulated, ending very 

 wide from the second ; fourth faint, not reaching the 

 end of the wing. 



This description having been made from a specimen 

 gummed down on card, though in very good condi 

 tion, I a '-'- ' ' "^ 



the fac(^ rpjjj. Senses of Bees. -^Yesterday Sir John 

 ' Lubbock read to tlie members of the Linnean Society 

 an account of liis further observations on the habits o. 

 insects made during the past year. The two queen ants 

 which have lived with hira since 1874, and which are 

 now, therefore, no less than eight years old^ are still 

 alive and laid eggs last summer as usual. His oldest 

 workers are seven years old. Dr MiUler, in a recent 

 review had courteously criticised his experiments on 

 the colour sense of bees, but Sir John Lubbock pointed 

 out that lie had anticipated the objections suggested by 

 Dr Miiller and had guarded against the supposed 

 source of error. The difference was, moreover, not one 

 of principle, nor does Dr. limUer question the main 

 conclusions arrived at, or doubt the preference of bees 

 for blue, which, indeed, is strongly indicated by Lis 

 own observations on flowers. Sir John also recorded 

 some further experiments with reference _ to the 

 power of hearing. Some bees were trained _ to 

 come to honey which was placed on a musica 

 box on the lawn close to a window. The musical 

 bos was kept going for several hours_ a day 

 for a fortnight. It was then brought into the 

 house and placed out of sight, but at the open window, 

 and only about seven yards from where it had been 

 before Tlie bees, however, did not find the honey, 

 though when it was once shown them they came to it 

 readily enough. Other e.-cperiments with a microphone 

 were without results. Everyone knows that bees when 

 swarming are nopularly, and have been ever since the 

 time of Aristotle, supposed to be influenced by clanging 

 kettles, &c. Experienced apiarists are now disposed to 

 doubt whether the noise has really any effect, but bir 

 John suggests that even if it has, with reference^ to 

 which he expressed no opinion, it is possible that what 

 the bees hear arc not the loud low sounds, but the 

 hitrher overtones at the verge of or beyond our range ot 

 hearincT As regards the industry of wasps, he timed a 

 bee and a wasp, for each of which he provided a store ot 

 honey, and ho found that the wasp began earlier in t^e 

 mornin-(at four a.m.), and worked on later ui the day. He 

 did not^" however, quote this as proving greater industry 

 on the part of the wasp, as it might be that they are 

 less sensitive to cold. Moreover, though the bee s pro- 

 boscis is admirably adapted to extract honey trom 

 tu ular flowers, when the honey is exposed, as in this 

 case the wasp appears able to swallow it more rapidly. 

 This' particular wasp began work at four in the morning, 

 and went on without ^ny rest or intermission till a 

 quarter to eight in tlie evening, during which time she 

 paid Sir John 116 visits, ^ 



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