T1IK SENSE OF HEARING. 221 



present to them a very different appearance from 

 what it does to us. 



The Sense of Hearing. 



Many eminent observers have regarded the antennae 

 of insects as auditory organs, and have brought forward 

 . i( evidence in favour of their view. 



I have myself made experiments on grasshoppers, 

 which convinced me that their antennae serve as organs 

 of hearing. 



So far, however, as Ants, Bees, and Wasps are con- 

 cerned, the evidence is very conflicting. The power of 

 hearing has indeed generally been attributed to them. 

 Thus St.Fargeau, in his * Hist. Nat. des Hyme'nopteres,' l 

 thinks there can be no doubt on the subject. Bevan 

 expresses, no doubt, the general opinion with reference 

 to Bees, when he says that ' there is good evidence that 

 Bees have a quick sense of hearing.' * 



As regards Wasps, Ormerod, who studied them 

 so lovingly, came to the same conclusion.* 



On the other hand, both Huber 4 and Forel 8 state 

 that ants are quite deaf. As I have already men- 

 tioned in the ' Linnean Journal ' (vols. xii. and xiii.), 

 I have never succeeded in satisfying myself that my 

 ants, bees, or wasps heard any of the sounds with 



1 Vol. i. p. 113. Tkt Honey Bee, p. 264. 



A*. Hi*, of Watpt, p 72. Aat. Xitt. tf Auto. 



* l-'imrni.* de la Svitte, p. 121. 



