io6 THE HONEY-BEE. 



that, till the insects had become habituated by 

 frequent use to these liquids, they always came out 

 to the entrance, to ascertain the meaning of the 

 odours which had penetrated into the hives. It is 

 well known, also, that they dislike the smell of paint 

 so much, that it is not advisable to place a swarm in 

 a freshly painted box, lest they should forsake it, from 

 its unpleasant odour. 



We may well conclude that it is owing to the 

 keenness of this sense that they perceive the pre- 

 sence of flowers containing nectar; and, guided by 

 it, they wing their flight to distant fields where the 

 white clover attracts them, or to more barren districts 

 where the heath promises them abundant pasturage. 

 It is very certain that the fragrant aroma of honey 

 is at once perceived by them at many feet from their 

 dwellings ; and inTtaking their sweets from them it is, 

 for this reason, necessary to avoid all exposure of 

 broken combs, or the dripping of their contents. 

 Great trouble is, in fact, often occasioned by the 

 readiness with which they thus detect the presence 

 of their own produce. Within our personal know- 

 ledge, at a provincial show of bees, hives, and honey^ 

 the fragrance of the liquid attracted bees from the 

 neighbourhood in such immense numbers that they 

 carried off, during one afternoon, some seventy pounds 

 of honey from the tent in which it was being exhibited. 



The position of the organ of smell is not clearly 

 ascertained. By some, as we have said, the an- 

 tennae have been credited with the power ; but, 

 though many observations may seem to favour this 

 opinion, we must remember that we have on record 

 some striking facts, which would seem, at least, to 



