A ROMANCE OF ANATOMY 155 



fallacy. Probably there is always some light, even 

 in the remotest recesses of the hive — enough, at 

 least, for the eyes of the bee, if not for our own 

 vision. 



The bee, however, would seem to depend very 

 little on sight alone in the prosecution of her 

 various tasks. There is little doubt that she 

 possesses all the other four senses in a marked 

 degree. Both the tongue and the lips have 

 certain highly developed structures upon them 

 which can be nothing else than organs of taste ; 

 while the most superficial acquaintance with the 

 life of the hive must convince anyone that the bee 

 possesses the senses of smell and hearing, and 

 that very acutely. Where the seat of these two 

 faculties lies is at present doubtful, and the exact 

 functions of the antennse are still a matter of 

 conjecture. But it is at least certain that these 

 latter perform vital office in every act or enterprise 

 of the bee. It is obvious that the antennae are 

 very delicate organs of touch, but it is equally 

 obvious that they are much more than this. It 

 has been ascertained that they carry no less than 

 six totally different kinds of instruments, each of 

 which must have its distinct use. 



Observation of the ways of the honey-bee has 

 been carried on for thousands of years. More books 

 have been written about the bee than perhaps of all 

 other creatures put together. And yet our know- 

 ledge of her powers and organisation must still 



