ANTENNAE OF ELA.TER. 



85 



Bee, Saw-fly, Ichneumon-fly, and Dragon-fly. The antennse 

 not only vary in the species, but in the sexes, and are 

 always most beautiful in the male ; as in the head of a 

 Gnat, which is plumed, whilst that of the female is quite 

 plain. 



The wild Bees, Saw-flies, and Beetles, present many 

 examples where the different shape and length of the 

 antennse enable us at first sight to recognise the sex. 

 Therefore we should study them, especially in the following 

 insects : 



It has been supposed that the werey chiefly the organ 

 of touch, probably of smell also, and of hearing. Certain 

 it is that they are most important to the insect, and that 

 special contrivance for their preservation and use may be 

 observed in many tribes. I will but mention a few exam- 

 ples. The common Water-scorpions, Nepa and Belastoma, 

 have very deep kidney-shaped boxes between the eye and 

 the throat to defend their singular antennse. Cryptocerus, 

 a remarkable ant, has a square plate, the sides of which 

 form a longitudinal cavity in which the antennse lie quite 

 concealed and safe. Many of the Diptera have furrows 

 in their foreheads, which receive and protect the antennse in 

 repose. Many beetles, Anthrenus and Byrrhus, have cavi- 

 ties under the prothorax or breast, where, when alarmed, 

 their antennse are secreted. 



But in proof that they are certainly organs of sensation 

 in a high degeee, it has lately been discovered that the 

 antennse of Bees, Wasps, Plies, Dragon-flies and Ichneu- 

 mons have peculiar structures which had never been 

 described before. Dr. Hicks published his papers on the 

 subject in the 'Transactions of the Linnean Society, 

 1857.' 



