58 BRITISH BEES. 



atmospheric influences^ of heat, of cold, and of electrical 

 agitations. That they are important media in sexual 

 communication must be assumed from their great differ- 

 ences of structure and size in the sexes, probably both 

 as organs of scent and stimulation. I have often ob- 

 served bees thrust their antennae into flowers, one at the 

 time, before they have entered the flower themselves, 

 and in some insects, as in the Ichneumons, they are con- 

 stantly in a state of vibration, — a tribe which, although 

 of the same order, are remote in position from the bees, 

 yet they may be instructively referred to by way of 

 analogy in the discussion of the uses of an organ, whose 

 functions so clearly follow its structure and position in 

 the organization of the entire class of insects, that the 

 analogy might be safely assumed in application to every 

 family of the class, if observation cduld only correctly 

 ascertain its uses in any one of them. 



That it is of primary signification to the bees, is suffi- 

 ciently shown by nature having furnished these insects 

 with an apparatus designed solely to keep the antennae 

 clean, and which I have described above, when speaking 

 of the structure of the anterior leg. 



In the social tribes the antennae are used as means of 

 communication. The social ants, bees, and wasps may 

 be often seen striking each other's antennae, and then 

 they will each be observed to go oflF in directions diflferent 

 from that which they were pursuing. An extraordinary 

 instance of this mode of communication once came under 

 my own notice, having been called to observe it. There 

 was a dead cricket in my kitchen, another issued from 

 its hole, and in its ramblings came across this dead one ; 

 after walking round, and examining it with its antennae 

 and fore legs a short time, it started off. Shortly, 



