GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. 3 



His active, yet reflective mind, demanded constant employ- 

 ment ; and he found, in the study of the habits of the honey- 

 bee, full scope for his powers. All the observations and 

 experiments of his faithful assistants being daily reported, 

 many inquiries and suggestions were made by him, which 

 might not have occurred to him, had he possessed the 

 use of his eyes. 



Few, like him, have such command of both time and money, 

 as to be able to prosecute on so grand a scale, for a series 

 of years, the most costly experiments. Having repeatedly 

 verified his most important observations, we take great de- 

 light in holding him up to our countrymen as the Prince op 

 Apiarist?. 



23. Huber, having imprisoned a queen in a wire cage, saw 

 the bees pass their antennae through the meshes of the cage, 

 and turn them in every direction. The queen answered 

 these tokens of love by clinging to the cage and crossing her 

 antennae with theirs. Some bees were trying to draw the 

 queen out, and several extended their tongues to feed her 

 through the meshes.* Huber adds: 



" How can we doubt now that the communication between the 

 workers and the queen was maintained by the touch of the 

 antennae." 



24. That bees can hear, either by their antennae or 

 some other organ, few will now deny, even although the 

 sound of a gun near the hive is entirely unnoticed by them. 



" Should some alien being watch humanity during a thunder- 

 storm, he might quite similarly decide that thunder was to us in- 

 audible. Clap might follow clap without securing any external 

 sign of recognition ; yet let a little child with tiny voice but 

 shriek for help, and all would at once be awakened to activity. 

 So with the bee : sounds appealing to its instincts meet with im- 

 mediate response, while others evoke no wasted emotion." 

 (Cheshire.) 



* Wonderftil as the experiment seemed at that time, the fact is verifled now 

 hy daily occnxrenccB in queen-rearing. 



