MEANS OF DEFENCE OF INSECXS. 241 



death's-head hawk-moth (Sphinx Atropos, L.), when 

 menaced by tlie stings often thousand bees enraged at 

 her depredations upon their property, possesses the 

 secret to disarm them of their fury ^. This insect, when 

 in fear or danger, is known to produce a sharp, shrill, 

 mournful cry, which with the superstitious has added 

 to the alarm produced by the symbol of death which 

 signalizes its thorax''. This cry, there is reason to 

 believe, affects and disarms the bees, so as to enable 

 her to r.roceed in her spoliations with impunity '^. One 

 of these insects being once brought to a learned divine, 

 who was also an entomologist, when he was unwell, he 

 was so much moved by its plaintive noise, that, instead 

 of devoting it to destruction, he gave the animal its life 

 and liberty. I might say more upon this subject of de- 

 fensive noises ; but I shall reserve what I have further 

 to communicate, to a letter which I purpose devoting to 

 the sounds produced or emitted by insects. 



You are acquainted with the singular property of 

 the skunk {Viverra pittorius, L.), which repels its as- 

 sailants by the fetid vapour that it explodes ; but per- 

 haps are not aware that the Creator has endowed many 

 insects with the same property and for the same pur- 

 pose — some of which exhale powerful or disagreeable 

 odours at all times, and from the general surface of their 

 body ; while they issue from others only through par- 

 ticular organs, and when they are attacked. 



Of the former description of defensive scents there 



"Vol. I. 2d Ed, 165. " Ibid. 31. 



" Huber appears to be of this opinion ; lie does not, however, lay crcat 

 stress upon it. Yet there seems no other way of accounting for the impu- 

 nity with which this animal commifjitsdcpicdationf. Hubcr, ii.'iOO — 

 AOL, 11. K 



