THE BEE. 31 



still better, if one of the antennEe be bleached with 

 chlorine, and a portion of it be then submitted to 

 microscopic investigation. Then you will be able 

 not only to distinguish the peculiar structure of the 

 organs with which it is covered, and to perceive that 

 they are closed sacculi (little sacs), but you may also 

 trace the central nerve that runs along the whole 

 length of the feeler, giving off innumerable branches^ 

 one of which communicates with each of the cavities 

 on the surface (PI. IV. fig. 3, a, & fig. 4) . This con- 

 nexion of the vesicles or sacculi with the nervous 

 system in the manner just described, denotes clearly 

 that they are organs of sense. 



Thus much has been determined with tolerable 

 certainty ; but now comes the problem — what is the 

 character of the sensory function performed by these 

 antennae ? is it that of hearing, smell, or touch ? 



That they are organs of touch is decided beyond a 

 doubt : but whether there is combined with this sense 

 that of hearing or smeU, or whether the vesicles are 

 organs that convey external impressions to the ner- 

 vous centres in a manner inappreciable by us, is still 

 an open question; for however carefiilly they have 

 been examined and compared with the sensory organs 

 in other races of animals, no physiologist has yet been 

 able to pronounce definitely as to their true function*. 



* The opiniona of various naturalists in this respect will be 

 found in the ' Earthworm and Housefly,' p. 37, and note ; and in 

 various contributions by Dr. Hicks to the Transactions of the 

 Linnean Society. 



