110 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Barbut's remarks on their hearing. 



of that assault will be, the animal, or animals, by 

 a different tone of voice, will express his or their 

 disapprobation or pain. That sound is known to 

 the hive to be plaintive, and that their brother, 

 or brethren, require their asssistance ; and the 

 offending party seldom escapes with impunity. 

 Now, if they had not the sense of hearing, they 

 could not have known the danger their brother, 

 or brethren, were in by the alteration of their 



tone." 



Another proof, (which he reckons still more 

 decisive,) was taken from an observation made 

 by himself on a large spider in St. James's Park. 

 This creature had made a very large web on a 

 wooden railing, and was, at the time of observa- 

 tion, on one of the rails at a considerable dis- 

 tance from the place where a large fly entangled 

 itself. Nevertheless, the moment the fly was 

 entangled, the spider became sensible of it; 

 though, from the situation of the rain, he could 

 not possibly have seen it. In this, however, Mr. 

 Bavbut might possibly be deceived ; because the 

 spider was, perhaps, alarmed by the tremulous 

 motion of the threads, occasioned by the flut- 

 tering of the fly, which he might well know 

 how to distinguish from their vibration by the 

 wind. The organ of hearing, in this gentleman's 

 opinion, is situated in the antennae, both from 

 their situation in the part of the head most favor- 

 able to such organs, and their inward structure 

 being movable, the ears of most inferior animals 



