SIGHT. 75 
the entrance of their hives, when they come homegloaded with pro- 
visions.” Wildman thought they saw better when flying than when 
on foot. But says Dr. Bevan, ‘I believe upon examination, that this 
opinion of Wildman will not be found quite correct; that the mere 
act of flying does not enable them to see objects better, but when on 
the wing, they are at a greater distance from these objects; the eyes 
of these insects being so constructed as to enable them to see best at a 
moderate distance.” Dr. Durham, in speaking of the age of the bee 
and other insects, says, “that the cornea and optic nerves being at 
one and the same distance, are fitted only to see distantial objects, but 
not such as are very nigh.” “This visual orb, this seemingly simple 
speck, though really complicated piece of mechanism,” says Dur- 
ham, “will be found upon examination to form a curious lattice- 
work, of several thousand hexagonal lenses, each having a separate 
optic nerve, ministering to it, and therefore to be considered as a dis- 
tinct eye.” 
Dr. Bevan, in speaking of these lenses, says, “ The hemispherical ar- 
rangement of them enables the bee to see accurately in every direc- 
tion, and without any interval of time or trouble.” I think, however, 
that this assertion of the Dr.’s will not upon examination be found 
quite correct, for I have many times been amused while watching the 
operations of the sentinel, stationed around the entrance of the hive, 
to see the bees, when a fly, or miller, or any other intruder, alights 
near them ; with their wings raised, they will turn first one way, and 
then the other, as if to ascertain the location of the enemy, and then 
dart in that direction, but instead of going directly towards it, al- 
though it may not be more than one inch from the bee, it will fre- 
quently miss the object by one half that distance, when it will again 
turn and rush at it with no better success than before, which proves 
to my mind that their sense of vision is quite imperfect, to say the 
least. 
I have known of two or three instances where second swarms 
have left their own hive, of their own accord, after occupying it for 
aweek or more, and constructing combs and storing considerable 
-honey. In each case above mentioned, the hives were standing on 
- the same bench, and not hore than from eight to twelve inches apart; 
