The Sense of Smell 



and they spun round frantically In an under- 

 takers' carnival. 



When the bacchanal dance Is at Its height, 

 I try to count the number of the arrivals. I 

 rip up the floral pouch and pour Its contents 

 Into a flask. Absolutely tipsy though they 

 be, many would escape during the census, 

 which I wish to take accurately. A few drops 

 of carbon bisulphide deprive the crowd of 

 motion. The counting then shows that there 

 were over four hundred. Such was the living 

 billow which I saw surging just now In the 

 dragon's purse. 



The throng consists entirely of two fami- 

 lies, Dermestes and Saprinl,^ both of whom 

 are very busy In spring turning derelict corpses 

 to account. Here Is a complete list of the vis- 

 itors to a single flower, with the number of 

 representatives of each species : Dermestes 

 Frischii, KuGEL., 120; £). undulatus, Brahm, 

 90; D. pardalis, Schoenh., i ; Saprinus sub- 

 nitidus, De Mars., 160; 5. maculatus, Ross., 

 4; S. detersiis, Illig., 15; iS. semipunctatus, 

 De Mars., 12 ; 5. aneus, Fabr., 2 ; S. specidi- 

 fer, Latr., 2. Total: 406. 



'A species of small carnivorous Beetles. — Translator's 

 Note. 



323 



