Antenna of Insects. 237 
vegetable aliment was its proper food, a piece of wheaten bread, 
well moistened with water, was placed at about one foot distant 
from it. The insect had previously to this been remaining at 
rest, but immediately after began to move its palpi, elevated its 
head, extended its antennae, put itself in an attitude for motion, 
and protruded the delicate laciniae from its mouth, as if in search 
of something. The antennae were then alternately elevated and 
depressed, and used as if in the act of exploring, touching every- 
thing within reach of them, both backward and forward, while the 
palpi continued their motion, and the laciniae were repeatedly pro- 
truded to their fullest extent. The insect then advanced a few 
paces, stopped, and continued its motions as before. Being on a 
table covered with a green woollen cloth, and nearer to the aliment, 
the object of its seai'ch, the insect seemed as if deceived with 
regard to the substance it was placed on, and after firmly attaching 
its claws, straightening its limbs, and setting them at angles with 
its body, which was elevated upon them, it began, with extended 
mandibles, to attempt tearing the cloth, by fixing their forked ex- 
tremities into it, and with evident exertion elevated itself to the 
utmost, as if in the act of tearing or stripping off the bark from 
the root or branch of a tree, and then, depressing its body as 
closely to the table as possible, extended the laciniae as if to sip 
the fluid it instinctively expected to flow from the supposed wound. 
Upon not finding this, the palpi were again in rapid motion, and 
the antennae used for exploring as before. It then advanced a 
pace or two, and the nearer it approached the food seemed to 
repeat its motions with greater effort. In order to discover whe- 
ther the antennae were the olfactory organs or were merely used 
as tactors for exploring, the moistened bread was placed within 
three-fourths of an inch of the side of the head, and within reach 
of one of the antennae, but the creature did not turn aside to ob- 
tain it. The bread was then placed at the side of the abdomen, 
near the spiracles, but no difference in the insect’s movements 
was perceived. It was then placed in front, within reach of the 
mandibles, and the motions of the insect were then evidently 
greater than before. These experiments, like the former, were 
repeated several successive days, and always with the same 
result. 
Hence it appears, in the first place, that the insect was ren- 
dered sensible of the presence of vegetable aliment, its proper 
food, by means of the olfactory sense ; that this resides some- 
where in the vicinity of the mouth, in the anterior part of the 
head, and that there are good reasons for believing it does no 
