306 SENSES OF BEES. 



but from an effect produced upon some other 

 organ of sense. I infer that it proceeds from the 

 former, on account of their being so quickly 

 roused to anger from a state of tranquillity, by 

 having a fresh envenomed sting and its appendages 

 presented before the entrance of their dwelling. 

 This experiment, of presenting fresh poison to the 

 bees, was tried by HUBER in such a variety of 

 ways, as to prove beyond all doubt that it was 

 the penetrating odour of the poison only, and not 

 the manner of presenting it, that affected them ; 

 for when the poison had coagulated, the same 

 mode of presentation produced no sensible effect, 

 it might be offered them with perfect impunity. 



Butterflies and Moths are supposed to be 

 directed by this sense to the discovery of their 

 mates. If the female of the eggar moth (Plialcena 

 quercus) be inclosed in a box, and placed in the 

 neighbourhood of the males, they are attracted to 

 the spot in such numbers as to show clearly that 

 they are sensible of her presence. We have 

 analogous instances of the existence of this faculty 

 in other insects. The flesh-fly (Musca vomitorid) 

 occasionally deposits its eggs on plants of the 

 Stapelia genus, no doubt from their odour re- 

 sembling that of putrefying flesh. This may be 

 regarded by some as an evidence of mistaken in- 

 stinct ; but from what I have said in the chapter 

 on Instinct, I think that my readers will consider 



