THE BEE. 33 



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 to construct royal cells, which 

 quieted them. He next separated them by a parti- 

 tion through which they could pass their antennse, 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 means they used to 

 assure themselves that the queen was in their vicinity, 

 and to communicate with her, was to pass their an- 

 tennae through the openings of the grate. An infinite 

 number of these organs might be seen at once, as it 

 were, inquiring 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. Various other 

 experiments, which are too long to relate, prove the 

 importance of these organs as instruments of com- 

 municating with each other, as well as to direct the 

 Bee in all its proceedings." 



But the second anecdote wiU exhibit to us the 

 disastrous effect produced by the loss of these organs. 



" The amputation of one of the antennae of a queen- 

 bee appears not to affect her perceptibly, but cut- 

 would appear that the antennse (which he shows to be the media 

 of communication) were neither organs of scent nor of sound. 



' This will be explained hereafter; it indicates that they 

 knew the queen to be present. 



c5 



