There is a natural occurrence to be met with 

 upon the highest part of our downs in hot summer 

 days, which always amuses me much, without giving 

 me any satisfaction with respect to the cause of it ; 

 and that is a loud audible humming as of bees in 

 the air, though not one insect is to be seen. This 

 sound is to be heard distinctly the whole common 

 through, from the Moneydells, to my avenue gate. 



Any person would suppose that a large swarm 

 of bees was in motion, and playing about over his 

 head. This noise was heard last week, on June 28th. 



" Resounds the living surface of the ground, 



Nor undelightful is the ceaseless hum 



To him who muses ... at noon." 

 " Thick in yon stream of light a thousand ways, 



Upward and downward, thwarting and convolved, 



The quivering nations sport." 



This wild and fanciful assertion will hardly be 

 admitted by the philosophers of these days ; espe- 

 cially as they all now seem agreed that insects are 

 not furnished with any organs of hearing at all. But 

 if it should be urged, that though they cannot hear, 

 yet perhaps they may feel the repercussion of sounds, 

 I grant it is possible they may. Yet that these im- 

 pressions are distasteful or hurtful, I deny, because 



Nor near the steaming stench of muddy ground, 

 Nor hollow rocks that render hack the sound, 

 And double images of voice rebound." 



(Dryden's Virg. Georg. iv. 47-50.) 

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