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 Saprini, 1 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., i2o;). undulatus, BRAIIM, 

 90; D. pardalis, SCHOENH., i; Saprimis sub- 

 nitidus, DE MARS., 160; S. maculatus, Ross., 

 4; S. detersus, ILLIG., 15; S. semipunctatus, 

 DE MARS., 12 ; S. aneus^ FABR., 2 ; S. specidi- 

 fer, LATR., 2. Total: 406. 



*A species of small carnivorous Beetles. Translator's 

 Note. 



323 



