220 THE NATURAL HISTORY [LETT. 



heard distinctly the whole common through, from the Money- 

 dells, to my avenue gate. 



Any person would suppose that a large swarm of bees was in 

 motion, and playing about over his head. This noise was heard 

 last week, on June 28th. 



" Resounds the living surface of the ground, 



Nor undelightful is the ceaseless hum 



To him who muses ... at noon." 

 " Thick in yon stream of light a thousand ways, 



Upward and downward, thwarting and convolved, 



The quivering nations sport." 



This wild and fanciful assertion will hardly be admitted by 

 the philosophers of these days ; especially as they all now seem 

 agreed that insects are not furnished with any organs of hearing 

 at all. But if it should be urged, that though they cannot hear, 

 yet perhaps they may feel the repercussion of sounds, I grant it 

 is possible they may. Yet that these impressions are distaste- 

 ful 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 responses 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 employ- 

 ments undisturbed, and without showing the least sensibility 

 or resentment. 



Some time since its discovery this echo is become totally 

 silent, though the object, or hop-kiln, remains : nor is there any 

 mystery in this defect ; for the field between is planted as a 

 hop-garden, 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 quick-set hedge, nurtured up for the 

 purpose of shelter to the hop-ground, interrupts the repercussion 

 of the voice : so that till those obstructions are removed no more 

 of its garrulity can be expected. 



