NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEY BEE. 21 



very patiently on the senses of Bees, took considerable 

 trouble to ascertain if Bees can distinguish colour, and 

 he comes to an affirmative conclusion. 



Naturalists have many times observed that insects, ants 

 especially, communicate intelligence one to the other by 

 crossing their antennae ; and Huber states that in Bees 

 these organs have the same use. He wished to ascertain 

 whether, when the Bees had lost a Queen (intelligence of 

 which traverses a whole hive in about an hour), they dis- 

 covered the sad event by their smell, their touch, or any 

 unknown means. He first divided a hive by a grate which 

 kept the two portions about a quarter of an inch apart, 

 so that the Bees could not come at each other. Though 

 scent would pass in that part in which there was no Queen, 

 the Bees were soon in great agitation, and as they did not 

 discover her where she was confined, in a short time 

 they began Queen cells, which quieted them. He next 

 separated them by a partition through which they could 

 pass their antennae but not their heads ; in this case the 

 Bees all remained tranquil, neither intermitting the care 

 of the brood, nor abandoning their other employments, 

 nor did they begin any royal cell. The way they assured 

 themselves that their Queen was in the vicinity, and to 

 communicate with her was, to pass their antennae 

 through the openings of the grate. An infinite number of 

 these organs might be seen at once, as it were, searching 

 in all directions, and the Queen was observed answering 

 these anxious inquiries of her subjects in the most 

 marked manner, for she was always fastened by her feet 

 to the grate, crossing her antennae with those of the 

 inquirers. 



Notwithstanding the conclusion of Huber, it is not 

 uncommon for bees to build Queen cells, even when a 

 Queen is with them confined in a wire gauze cage, where 



