* 



IXSECTS.] 



ray f, given out at the point c, will pass through 

 the whole length of the cone g, and will atfect only 

 the corresponding nervous filament / ; the rav b' 

 traverses only the cone/, and is perceived only bv 

 means of the filament A; and the ray a>, emitted at 

 the point a, is perceived only by means of the fila- 

 ment I, after having passed throuirh the cone e 



'• The variously coloured rays -iven out from the 

 pomts a, b, c d, will thus produce in the interior of 

 the eye a determinate figure corresponding to the 

 luminous object without ; and the same remarks will 

 necessarily apply to any number of points situated 

 between a, b, c, d. 



" Each nervous filament conveys to the bulb of 

 the optic nerve the i.i.piession of the rays which it 

 has individually received ; and as all the nervous 

 filaments, at first insulated by the pigment, are at 

 Jensth united together in one common or continuous 

 DuJb or nervous expansion, the impression received 

 by each filament is united to those of all the others 

 in the bulb of the optic nerve; and so a common 

 and continuous image is produced. Rays coming 

 Irom one point of a remote object will, it is true 

 Illuminate throughout more than a single cone, and 

 then to each luminous point without, there will cor- 

 respond in the interior of the eye, not exactly a 

 single illuminated point, but rather a little circle of 

 diffused or dispersed light, and in consequence an 

 image ot but little distinctness will be produced on 

 the sentient retina ; the distinctness of the image 

 of course, increasing in proportion as the object ap- 

 proaches the eye." For much more information on 

 this interestic topic we refer the reade,- to Loudon's 

 'Mag. 01 Nat. Hist.,' vol. iv. p. 124 et seq. 



Heaking.— That insects in their perfect stage 

 possess the sense of hearing may be concluded from 

 the sounds which they utter, or the noises which 

 they make, evidently by way of signals to each 

 other, and, indeed, experiments seem to prove that 

 this sense, if not universal, is at least vefy general 

 in h.s class of beings. The question is, in what 

 part the organs are situated. In the higher Crusta- 

 cea, the organs of hearing are seated at the base of 

 the larger antennae, where a tympanic membrane 

 may be seen stretched across a little pit with an 

 elevated margin; see 3410, the head ol'a lobster- 

 «, a the auditory apparatus: b, b, the antennae.' 

 Whether in insects the organs have their situation 

 in the antennae or not, is a point still at issue. In 

 some moths Ireviranus discovered a drum at the 

 base of the antennae, behind which were large nerves 

 derived Irom those supplied to the antenna. In 

 other insects, where this drum cannot be detected 

 an.enn* themselves may be susceptible of the im- 

 pressions of sound. In proof that insects hear we 

 may mention that Derham, who kept a male and 

 femae death-watch beetle (AnobiumJ in a box for 

 about three weeks, could make them click when- 

 ever he pleased, merely by imitating their sound. 

 This they produce by striking the woodwork with 

 tZl^r^- J\l 3411 represents a, the Anobium 

 tesseiatum; b, the Anobium striatum; c. the Ano- 

 bmm pertinax; all greatly magnified. It is sup- 

 posed by some that the degree of hearing enjoyed 

 by insects is in proportion to the length of the an- 

 tenn* and they instance the green Grasshopper 

 (Acrida vmdis^sima) as an instance in jxiint, and 

 also a beetle, Acanthocinus ajdilis, Fig. 3412 a and 



fem^all' "^""''^ ^' ^'"'^^^' ^ ^""^ '■ ">^'"'^nd 

 TASTK.-It can hardly be doubted but that insects 

 are endowed with the sense of taste ; for we know 

 that they give preference to certain kinds of food, 

 and thus se ect the most agreeable aliment. Thus 



nvn^Inii! ' "'/''' ['"S'*'' ^""'-'^y (Hipparchia 

 Hyperanthus; prefers the annual poa grass (Poa an- 

 nua), see Fig. 3413; and certain species have their 

 W T' P?,''.^"«*v0.f ^hich one infests the marbled 

 buttertly (Hipparchia Galathea), Fig. 3414. and 

 feasts upon its juices. ' 



iJ! ""*" ^^^"' '"'^''f'*' o'^Jected, that the sense of 

 taste must be very deficient, and even wanting in 

 bees, since they often collect poisonous honey, a ('act 

 noticed by Xenophon, who state that neai- Treb" 

 zonde. the soldiers who had partaken of the contents 



catT^In^l"" !T"*' ""''""'^ **"P'*«'l <"• ii'o^i- 

 caied. Jn this district, as was ascertained by Tourne- 



lort, poisonous honey is still prepared, evidently 



nom the nectar of the Rose LaJirerCRh^dodendron 



Ponticum), Fig. 341.5, or the Yellow Azalea, Fig 



•Hio. plants abounding in that country. In 1700 



the honey collected near Philadelphia vias found to' 



of tht t^^i '^'''"^ ".'°"^ and vvas traced to the flowers 

 01 the Kalmia latifoha. 



sel!!^tirm nf°fl ''"""^er, see how this indiscriminate 

 eney ot taste ; for, be it observed, it is lor itself and 



who^'H'T"^/''* i' 'r "p *'°-y -'' not ic!;- mi 



biur,o„s fn^.h P.'""''r'L *"" "' "^<^ ''0"«y b« no 



hi" Choi, ^ „t hi '"'"=*"' ^^'y '=^""°' ^^'^ ^'"'l in 

 'iieir cnoice ot blossoms, 



Jln^f^lT'^"T ?! "" ^y ''"'"he vvasp for sugar 

 aJJ must be pertectly aware, and the attacks of the 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



a'e notoriouT""^ ^™'''' '"* "^ '^^ "P« greengage, 



n<.^t'l'i''''-n:Tu^ ^^"*® "'■ ^"'«" 's intimately con- 

 nected with that of taste ; but to what extent insects 

 possess It, and in what or^an is placed the appre- 

 ciation of diffusible odours, is not very clear Some, 

 indeed, appear to possess it in a high degree, for 

 that camon-lov.ng beetle, the Necrophorus Sepul- 

 tor, see Fig 3417, has been seen, while* flying at the 



s.7d.nl°^ '"T'y ^''' ^T-" *he ground, to descend 

 suddenly and creep under the dead body of a frog 

 halt dried up by the sun, and hidden amidst thl 

 grass, home physiologists, indeed, suppose that 

 this sense resides in the antennie; or that the an- 



th!^T«l''T?'^!' "'^ '<=^"* °'" 'i'^t'^nt objects, and 

 the palpi that ot contiguous bodies. 



h^.fT^T^^' imagined that in the Lamellieorn 

 beetles the sense ot smell was seated in the ex- 

 IZJ^y r '^ *?'ennae. But of this there is not a 

 shadovv of proot, nor, in truth, do we really know 



p"aced '"'^''" °' °'^^"^ '^' "'""' '" 1"*=^"°" '« 

 As_^a proof of the possession of smell in insects, 



nnvn^hi""" '7-. ^''^l'^" ^''' '^^'^ the painted lad)! 

 (Cynthia cardui), a high-flying butterfly, descend 

 fiom a considerable elevation upon the blossom of 

 cpnt Jr",'- hi^el^ottle (Centaurea montana), the 

 scent of which is far from powerful. (Fig 3418 1 



ni,i'"m '"^^ *° ""*''" *h« Snap-dragon (Antir;hi- 

 niura majus) ,s attractive to bees, and we have 

 oaen seen both the humble-bee and the hive-bee enter 

 the flowers, resting on the lower lip of the blossom, 

 while the tongue was insinuated between the uppei' 

 lip and valve, and on being pushed forwards made 

 way for the head to enter. (Fig 3419 ) 



It IS a very interesting sight to watch the hum- 

 ming-bird moth (Macraglossa Stellarum) hover 

 round the flowers of the trumpet honeysuckle (Ca- 

 pritohum sempervirens), and while poised on the 



recTarTFiJ'^m)"" '"' "'' "P ''' '""""^ 



I rfnwT"^, J^.t "'*"""' P™^''^ that insects are en- 



the fact'^nf J^^' ''"'"• °'' ^'"«"' ha^ been adduced 

 the fact of many species emitting offensive odours 



of oTh^ ''^Pr'''""^ themselves from the attacks 

 of others of their own class. As an instance in point 

 7nZ7- "'^' to that beetle termed the bombardier 



£e be"eirrr?' ""'^' °^- ""^''^ "^e chief enemy is a 

 large beetle (Calosoma inquisitor), the attacks of 



stoke 'thus''" '*^" I'y "'« '^'^'^harge of a sort of 

 MfV-^oi ""^^'"^ ^'"°™ "t" surprised assailant. 

 At l-ig. 3421 a represents the bombardier; b the 

 caooma. The smoke of another species of' Ba- 



nhric Jf/' ^ "^'IT"*- °''°"'-' «i""''r to that of 

 nitric acid, and reddens white paper 



The Rove beetles (Staphinidse), in addition to 

 their powerful jaws and threatening attitudes annoy 

 their enemies by their offensive odour. O f thei 



7LrFTf"^-i^' '^TT"" '"'' beetle (Goerius 

 ^ilnh hI ^'k ?^"7^" ''"°^"- The odour of the 

 y^eJZ \V'''^ on carrion, and of the church! 

 gusting! ^ ^' mortisaga), is extremely dis- 



Among quadrupeds the skunk and various allied 

 species discharge a secretion of most ove powerW 



flS: trv^^ir^rs"'^ ^^"'p^' '"^'^^ --'- ^° 



acids and volatile alkali produced a gr ate^ef^ec 



S I3e"d "'■• n' ''''' ""* '^"d cimphor we'r 

 Dotn avoided. "On presenting," he says ",omP 



, musk to bees feeding before the entrance of thdr 



I hive, they ceased and partially dispesedbu with 



I out precipitation or beating their w^ngr We sp n' 



kled some powdered musk on a drop of honey ^intJ 



which some bees thrust their suckers as if by steahh 



^^U^'l\?^ ''f ^ ^'•°™ " ^* f-r as possible but 



Src:iv^^HL■™ni ?'"'"'' *° ™'='' '^' -« -^i^ "0 

 perceive It to dimmish in a quarter of an hour Ioup- 



&u^:dVith"°"'V''^/''''*^pp-'«'ih"^^^^ 



n,^nl n t K*"" •""'''• Pounded assafoetida, the 

 mlvpH *!!']"''' " '° ^'^greeable to us, upon be ng 

 L nnt honey and put at the entrance of a hi ve 

 ' t\ , uTu to,=innoy the bees, for they greed I y 

 sucked all the honey, neither attempting to with 

 draw nor vibrating their wings, till tfiey^only ef 

 the particles of- gum. Having remarked °ha[ bees 

 going out to the fields and coming home turned 

 aside in the air to avoid passing overTpiece of 

 camphor laid before the entrance of their^hTve I 

 ned the effect of bringing some campho towarf 

 their mouths while their tongues were plunged m to 



flight, but alter flying about for some time thev 

 ventured to alight near the honey. Wh .Te hey 



r,"pho7S"h'''"",>' 'V' ^ th/ew some bis o^- 

 ca nphoi on the surlace ; they drew back a littlp 



still keeping the tip of 'their fongTies amidst the 

 honey, and carefully avoided the camplmr One 

 vibrated its wings as it fed, while some were less 

 affected, and others not at all, but wheiil covered 

 the honey entirely with camphor, they all flewTn- 



343 



stantly away I had this card carried to my hives 

 while some honey was put on another clTan card 

 within reach of the bee* Th^ i„.. ™ 



covered an,i il i! "^ '*"'*'' ""a* soon d s- 



coyered and the honey consumed in a few minutes 

 but an hour elapsed before a sin<rl„ hll niinutes, 



edge ot a drop of honey ; others followed and tw! 

 hours after it was covered with them and ^U .h 



prior. Huber also found by experiment th t^ 

 odour of the Doisnn nf k..„ •'^ experiment that the 

 of the same spec es excitant th"*^"'"""* individuals 



throwmg the^m'ro'fi^^'' "A SKIL^^^^^^^^^^ 

 remarkable circumstance, and we^Tutter Iv 'f " 

 loss how to account lor it ^ ^^ * 



neIdTe";i"dfnVo"r:UV^ ^"l' "/^''"^h little 

 ing itself with ?ts iimb?can do^h ' f*> ^ ^^ '='^^"- 

 the faculty. In many ins.«n. J °^ "^ Po-^sessing 

 seat of touch, or ta"^ ZZ7^ ^"'T' 'h« chief 

 and palpi, though „' ome b° t^* '" 'he antenna 

 beetle (Cerarabyx odo7Zl^ I l\^ 'h« musk 

 beetle (TimarchrtenebrTco.a) thp t^"- ^'^^h^^^d 

 of the foot is furnished hp^fi' •. *«,™'nal portion 

 cushions, or pJmT S a si,t'fV" "''^^'•^"h «oft 

 the ground L they^l^fJ^VoT'''" '''^'"S 

 the musk -beetle : l, the catchleeSet'ir"'"'*' "' 



instances they differ in the sexes ni f^L """"^ 



cies. Thev are alw,v= .;. . j 'he same spe- 



the direction ot- the em and are '° V".''' ""^er 

 circular pit or torulusf which re eiv^rtE fi'l' '" ' 

 and in which it rotates ThZlT *"' JO'"'. 



with nerves and muscular fihvpf"' T" P^^''^^^ 



clothed externally wTh fine dowi' hatr^^rh T'' 

 In some insects they are Plpe^onfi ^' I bristles, 

 others they are plume-tul'ed IH L^ fea hered, i„ 



^^?nr„st^^^H:s^-^s?h- 

 Kts;v-o£;H^-^'^^^ 



stances the/ are'turn:d°und r'ThrhU'd 'V Z 

 lamelhcorn beetles, as the chaff^er theTr st^, ^-^ 

 in a cavity behind the pvp rl station is 



cies, as the Gvinus thev are drf'"' '''1"^"= **?«- 



which is lurniLed ;> Klittleld tWs'cl" '^'^"^^ 

 protects them. ' 'h's closes and 



The motions of the antenna whpn Jn «■ 

 as varied as their forms ; in some as^he i.h °" ^'^ 

 flies they are in perpetual yTrationnh"'"°"' 

 extend them, and^onstantly applTthem to h'r '* 

 adjacent. The lamellieorn bee^t^^s bnnp- fh °i"'^ 

 wards and expand the lamella i^i^T ^^™ ''"■- 

 mospheric impressions. Ants and 1 pI °"^^ ^t" 

 communicate\o each othe'thet w^ms'I'S!'^'- *° 

 plans, or discoveries, or to make inn.ll' k '','^^'res, 

 iiig each other in ^'^^rZZtt'^XZ./.'"'''''- 



That the antennae are oro-ans of hiVh ;™ 

 cannot for a moment be doubled and^.t 'u^°'IT,^- 

 that besides being endowed wUh the sense ottc^ 

 and having perhaps the oie-ano nf hi °"'^''' 



ba.se, they^ay be' endowTd "with a'sens^, f' '.h"" 

 nature of which, because we do no? posseVi, ^ 

 have not the remotest idea. ^ * ''' ^'^ 



Virgil deceived probably by the similprit i, 

 ween the syrphus Ld tulble SLZ^^%^'- 

 JM *' ^y:;Ph.n«). gives a full and par'icilaracxo'.-nf' 

 of the mode in which a swarm of hpps^« k ""* 

 duced from the carcass of a vo, no- h i"*T ^^ P™" 

 slaughtered; and no doubt hi nnf t "'""^'^ '?''"«^'y 

 Heved in the infal.ibim;^' htdritir^Cl;!: 

 the syrphi, dipterous insects which he misfonl^ 

 bees, proceed from eggs, deposited by a ft^,!?! 

 or females, no one in the present dav i.L • ^ 



as to doubt. In fact we need sc?r. i ^^""'""t 

 insects are oviparous-some I w'T'^ '^^ 'h^t 

 that from the eggs are piodZd »/'",?''"'"' '" 

 larva, which, alter chang °t th.ir t''^ '''' "' 

 times, assume a dormant sfaf and ;:^,'" '"'"''^ 

 or chrysalises, and that fVom th; pupa c " !nf"P*' 

 the perfect insect, to commenop^ / emerges 



Such is the genera rule ™, , T '^'"f«"'=e. 

 where the fggs areTatc^T klhT &' "^'r^h ' 

 parent, or where the young are born i n . h ^* 



