428 PERFECT SOCIETIES OF INSECTS. 



which terminated in a hook, to which he fastened^ hair with a small 

 square of very thin paper at the other end ; this was exactly opposite to 

 the aperture, at the distance of about an inch from it. As soon as the 

 apparatus was fixed, the hair with its paper pendulum began to oscillate 

 more or less, the greatest oscillations on both sides being an inch, by ad- 

 measurement, from the perpendicular; if the paper was moved by force 

 to a greater distance, the vibrations did not take place, and the apparatus 

 remained at rest. He then made an opening in the top of the hive, and 

 poured in some liquid honey ; soon after there arose a hum, the movement 

 in the interior increased, and some bees came out. The oscillations of the 

 pendulum upon this became more frequent and intense, and extended to 

 fifteen lines or an inch and a quarter from the perpendicular; but when 

 the paper was removed to a greater distance from the aperture, it remained 

 at rest. 



Huber, at the proposal of M. de Saussure, in order to ascertain whether 

 artificial ventilators would produce an analogous effect, got a mechanical 

 friend to construct for him a little mill with eighteen sails of tin. He also 

 prepared a large cylindrical vase, into which he could, at an aperture in 

 the box upon which it was fixed, introduce a lighted taper. In one side 

 of this box was another aperture to represent tiiat of a hive, but larger. 

 The ventilator was placed below, and luted at the points of contact, and 

 anemometers were suspended before the aperture. The first experiment 

 was the introduction of the taper, without putting the ventilator in motion. 

 Though the capacity of the vessel was about 3228 cubic inches, the flame 

 soon diminished, and went out in about eight minutes, and the anemome- 

 ters continued motionless. The same experiment was next repeated with 

 the door shut, with precisely the same result. After the air of the vessel 

 had been renewed, the taper was again introduced, and the ventilator set 

 in motion : immediately, as appeared by the oscillations of the anemome- 

 ters, two currents of air were established, and the brilliancy of the flame 

 was not diminished during the whole course of the experiment, which 

 might have been prolonged for an indefinite time. A thermometer placed 

 in the lower part of the apparatus rose to 112°; and the temperature was 

 evidently still more elevated at the top of the receiver. 



The Creator often has one end in view in the actions of animals (and 

 nothing more conspicuously displays the invisible hand that governs the 

 universe), while the agents themselves have another. This probably is 

 the case in the present instance, since we can scarcely suppose that the 

 bees beat the air with their wings in order to ventilate the hive, but rather 

 to relieve themselves from some disagreeable sensation which oppresses 

 them. The following experiments prove that one of their objects in this 

 action, as it is with ladies when they use their fans, is to cool themselves 

 when they suffer from too great heat. When Huber once opened the 

 shutter of a glazed hive, so that the solar rays darted upon the combs 

 covered with bees, a humming, the sign of ventilation, soon was heard 

 amongst them, while those which were in the shade remained tranquil. 

 The bees composing the clusters which often are suspended from (he hives 

 in summer, when they are incommoded by the heat of the sun, fan them- 

 selves with great energy. But if by any means a shadow is cast over 



