346 THE SENSORIAL FUNCTIONS. 



apparent object. Huber found that Bees are en- 

 abled, by feeling with their antennae, to execute 

 their various works in the interior of the hive, 

 where, of course, they can have no assistance from 

 light. They employ these organs perpetually while 

 building the combs, pouring honey into the maga- 

 zines, ascertaining the presence of the queen, and 

 feeding and tending the larvae. The same naturalist 

 observes, also, that it is principally by means of the 

 antennae that these social insects communicate to 

 one another their impressions and their wants. 



The different modes in which Ants, when they 

 happen to meet during their excursions, mutually 

 touch one another with their antennae, or other 

 parts of the body, appears to constitute a kind of 

 natural language understood by the whole tribe. 

 This contact of the antennae evidently admits of a 

 great variety of moditications, and seems capable 

 of supplying all the kinds of information which 

 these insects have occasion to impart. It would 

 seem impossible, indeed, for all the individuals 

 composing these extensive societies to co-operate 

 effectually in the execution of many works, calcu- 

 lated for the general benefit of the community, unless 

 some such means of communication existed. There 

 is no evidence that sound is the medium of this 

 intercourse ; for none, audible to us at least, was 

 ever known to be emitted by these insects. Their 

 mode of communication appears to be simply by 

 touching one another in different ways with the 

 antennae. Ruber's observations on this subject are 

 exceedingly curious.* He remarks that the signal 



. * See his " Recherchcs sur les mceurs des fourinis indigenes." 



