GS 2) 
anything he has yet found in the latter group; and the method 
of producing sound seems to be somewhat different in the two 
groups. The structures that Sir John Lubbock thought might 
be stridulating organs in Lasius flavus are not really such, 
being merely a portion of the general sculpture of the surface; 
this may possibly be capable of producing sound by the 
rubbing together of two sculptured surfaces, but any sounds 
thus produced must be of excessive delicacy, and beyond 
the range of human ears. Dr. Sharp said that Mr. H. Goss 
had been in communication with Mr. W. H. Preece, F.R.5., 
with the view of ascertaining whether the microphone would 
assist the human ear in the detection of sounds produced 
by ants, and read the following letter on the subject from 
Mr. Preece :— 
‘‘ General Post Office, March 4, 1893. 
Dear Goss, 
I made a great many experiments with microphones 
to try and detect sounds emitted by ants and other insects. The 
sounds I got were invariably due to the mechanical disturbance 
produced by the motion of the insect over the microphone. 
The microphone does not magnify sound, as its name implies. 
It simply reproduces sounds, and its range in this respect is 
limited. I tried to produce sonorous vibrations of a very high 
frequency in the hopes of exciting the auditory organs of ants, 
but without any success, and I made a little instrument for Sir 
John Lubbock which I believe he found equally unsuccessful. 
If ants communicate by sound, the view is that it must be by 
sounds that are far beyond the range of our ears. Neverthe- 
less, Dr. Sharp mentions sound-making ants that may upset 
this dogma. Science is always breaking down such dogmas. 
Sincerely yours, 
W. H. Preece.” 
Mr. Goss read the following note which he had that day 
received from Mr. G. A. James Rothney on the subject of 
stridulating insects :— 
«65, Old Bailey, London, E.C., March 8th, 1893. 
Dear Mr. Goss, 
Perhaps the following may be of use to you this 
evening. I have never found Indian ants stridulating. The 
