THE HONEY-BEE. 



Still, an opposite view is held by many naturalists, 

 for it seems very doubtful whether there is any power 

 in the bee of focusing these eyes, so as to adapt their 

 range to different distances. The probability is that 

 no such faculty of adjustment exists in them. We 

 should expect this from the structure of the visual 

 apparatus. Yet it seems possible that the compound 

 eyes act as telescopes, and serve for great range of 

 vision, but not for near objects. For, while bees dart 

 homewards from far-off fields with the directness of 

 an arrow, they will frequently fly against persons or 

 things in the direct line of their course, without 

 apparently having seen them at a little distance off. 

 Moreover, when they have alighted within an inch or 

 two of the entrance to their hives, they often fail to 

 perceive its position, and constantly wander to one 

 side or the other, searching for their way in. We 

 might conclude, therefore, that these compound eyes 

 confer distinctness of vision afar, and possibly ability 

 to use up scanty light, rather than any great discern- 

 ment of objects near at hand. 



In addition to these " facetted " eyes, bees have, 

 on the top of the head, three simple ones, called by 

 some writers "coronets," by others "stemmata." 

 Their position and arrangement are shown at g in 

 Fig. 27, p. 98. The focal length of their lens is said 

 to be short, and they are supplied with numerous 

 filaments from the optic ganglia. The special 

 purpose of these simple organs is not well ascer- 

 tained. If their focal length is short, this would 

 seem to imply that their range of vision is also very 

 limited. But it is very possible they may possess 

 a focusing power, which would adapt them for seeing 



