46 THE SENSES OF BEES. 



may suppose, of removing to such a distance from the 

 desired ohject as is suited to the properties or focus 

 of its visual organ. We are led to conclude, therefore, 

 from these well-known facts, that the eye of the Bee 

 has a lengthened focus, and that it must depend on 

 the aid of other organs in those operations wherein its 

 attention is directed to objects close at hand. 



Feeling or Touch. The organs of this sense are 

 supposed, with reason, to reside in the antennse and 

 palpi or feelers, particularly in the former, Huber 

 concludes that the antennae supply the want of sight 

 in the interior of the hive, and that it is solely by 

 Jieir means they are enabled to construct their combs 

 m darkness, pour their honey into the magazines, feed 

 ihe young, judge of their age and necessities, and recog- 

 nise their queen. Though it does by no means appear 

 dear that the bees are devoid of sight when employed 

 in their in-door operations, though, on the contrary, 

 there is reason to believe, as already stated, that the 

 stemmata or ocelli serve as orbs of vision, this natu- 

 ralist is probably not wrong in ascribing to the antennae 

 an important share in these operations. That the 

 bees use them as means of communication and recog- 

 nition, seems readily admitted by apiarians. When 

 a hive has lost its queen, the event, as may well be 

 supposed, causes a high degree of agitation in the 

 colony; the disturbed workers, who have first, by 

 some unknown means, acquired the knowledge of this 

 public calamity, soon quit their immediate circle, and, 

 "meeting their companions," says Huber, "the an- 

 tennae are reciprocally crossed, and they slightly strike 



