SIB JOHN LTJBBOCTK OS BEES AND WASBS. 115 



almost consider it settled, although we must at the same time 

 admit that aU the difficulties are not solved"*. 



Dr. Braxton Hicks, also, and M. Lespes, who have specially 

 studied the anatomical structure of antennae, are of opinion that 

 they are organs of hearing f. 



The weight of authority, then, in favour of this view (comprising, 

 as it does, Sulzer, Scarpa, Schneider, Borkhausen, Bonsdorf, Carus, 

 Straus-Durckheim, Oken, Burmeister, Kirby and Spence, Lespes, 

 and Hicks) is very great. Nevertheless other eminent entomo- 

 logists, as, for instance, Lyonet, Kiister, Eobineau-Desvoidy, Yogt, 

 and Erichson, regard these organs as the seat of the sense of 

 smell. 



These are but a few of the many interesting questions which yet 

 remain unsolved with reference to the social Hymenoptera. I 

 present, therefore, the following observations to the Society with 

 much diffidence ; for I am well aware that they are but frag- 

 mentary. It will, however, be some months before I shall be able 

 to prosecute them any further ; and I trust that in some points 

 they may be found not devoid of interest. I hope also that 

 in consequence of bringing them before the Society I may re- 

 ceive some suggestions with reference to future inquiries. 



Bees. 



It will be observed that the current statements with reference 

 to the language of social insects depend much on the fact that 

 when one of them, either by accident or in the course of its 

 rambles, has discovered a stock of food, in a very short time many 

 others arrive to profit by the discovery. This, however, does not 

 necessarily imply any power of describing localities. If the 

 Bees or Ants merely follow their more fortunate comrade, the 

 matter is simple enough ; if, on the contrary, others are sent, 

 the case becomes very different. 



In order to test this, I proposed to keep honey in a given place 

 for some time, in order to satisfy myself that it would not readily 

 be found by the Bees, and then, after bringing a Bee to the honey, 

 to watch whether it brought others, or sent them — the latter of 

 course implying a much higher order of intelligence and power of 

 communication. 



I therefore placed some honey in a glass, close to an open 



* Burmeister's ' Entomology,' p. 4-15. 

 f TransaotionB of the Linnean Society, toI. uii. p. 395. 

 MNN. JOTTRN. — ZOOLO&T, VOL. XII. 9 



