254 NATURAL HISTORY 
hear, yet perhaps they may feel the 1epercussion 
of sounds, I grant it is possible they may. Yet 
that these impressions are distasteful or hurtful I 
deny, because bees, in good summers, thrive well 
in my outlet, where the echoes are very strong ; 
for this village is another Anathoth, a place of re- 
sponses or echoes. Besides, it does not appear 
from experiment that bees are in any way capable 
of being affected by sounds; for I have often tried 
my own with a large speaking-trumpet held close 
to their hives, and with such an exertion of voice 
as would have hailed a ship at the distance of a 
mile, and still these insects pursued their various 
employments undisturbed, and without showing the 
least sensibility or resentment. 
Some time since its discovery this echo is be. 
come totally silent, though the object or hopklin re- 
mains: nor is there any mystery in the defect, for 
the field between is planted as a hopgarden, and 
the voice of the speaker is totally absorbed and 
lost among the poles and entangled foliage of the 
hops. And when the poles are removed in autumn 
the disappointment is the same, because a. tall 
quickset hedge, nurtured up for the purpose of shel- 
ter to the hopground, entirely interrupts the im- 
pulse and repercussion of the voice; so that, till 
those obstructions are removed, no more of its gar- 
rulity can be expected. 
Should any gentleman of fortune think an echo 
in his park or outlet a pleasing incident, he might 
build one at little or no expense. For, whenever 
he had occasion for a new barn, stable, dog-kennel, 
-or the like structure, it would be only needful to 
erect this building on the gentle declivity of a hill, 
