Or SELBORNE. 33 



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 reper- 

 cussion of sounds, I grant it is possible they 

 may. Yet that these impressions are dis- 

 tasteful 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 become totally silent, though the object, 

 or hop-kiln, remains : nor is there any 

 mystery in this defect ; for the field between 



VOL. II. D 



