110 



INSECT MISCELLANIES. 



a,'Acanthocinus eedilis, Megeble. h, Adela Be Geerella, male, c, Adeta 

 De Geerella, female. 



bees and ants are instruments of language by the 

 medium of touch and gesticulation. Let us examine 

 the experiment made to ascertain the means by which 

 intelligence of the loss of a queen is spread through 

 the hive, which always takes place within an hour 

 after the event. 



*'I divided," he says, "a hive into two portiorfs by 

 means of a grating, executing the operation with such 

 expedition and delicacy, that the smallest agitation 

 was imperceptible, nor was a single bee injured. The 

 bars of the grating admitted the free circulation of 

 air, but were too close for the reciprocal passage of 

 the bees. I did not know which half contained the 

 queen, but the tumult and buzzing in number one soon 



