TASTE. 395 



dual, from its operation being coincident with 

 those of natural instincts. If, as it is said, these 

 instincts are still met with among men in a 

 savage state, they are soon weakened or effaced 

 by civilization. 



The tongue, in all the inferior classes of ver- 

 tebrated animals, namely Fishes, Reptiles, and 

 Birds, is scarcely ever constructed with a view 

 to the reception of delicate impressions of taste ; 

 being generally covered with a thick, and often 

 horny cuticle ; and being, besides, scarcely ever 

 employed in mastication. This is the case, also, 

 with a large proportion of quadrupeds, which 

 swallow their food entire, and which cannot, 

 therefore, be supposed to have the sense of taste 

 much developed. 



Insects which are provided with a tongue or 

 a proboscis may be conceived to exercise the 

 sense of taste by means of these organs. But 

 many insects possess, besides these, a pair of 

 short feelers, placed behind the true antennae ; 

 and it has been observed that, while the insect 

 is taking food, these organs are in incessant mo- 

 tion, and are continually employed in touching 

 and examining the food, before it is introduced 

 into the mouth : hence, some entomologists have 

 concluded that they are organs of taste. But it 

 must be obvious that in this, as in every other 

 instance in which our researches extend to 

 beings of such minute dimensions, and which 



