NATURE STUDY IN SCHOOLS, 21 



* 



The eyes in the' larva of young locusts differ from the eyes of the 

 adult, which possesses compound eyes, while in the larva their place 

 is taken by groups of simple eyes which, during the growth of the 

 young locust increase in number, and finally unite to form the 

 large many-faceted visual organs. The antennae, which are the ap- 

 pendages between the eyes, in the young locust are at first short and 

 thick set, but as the insect undergoes its several changes, they grad- 

 ually assume their perfect condition, that is more slender and much 

 longer in proportion to the insect. That the antennae are organs of 

 smell, taste, or used as eyes, is not at present known, although in some 

 orders, say the mosquito, Meyer, often, by many experiments, proved 

 that the antennae were organs of hearing, while the observations of 

 Lubbock tend to show that the antennae of ants are organs of smell. 



Experiments of Trouvelot, Packard, and others on butterflies, 

 show that the antennae are organs of sight, A butterfly was caught 

 its eyes covered with India ink, and was able to fly, but when the an* 

 tennae were cut oft', it was quite impossible for it to navigate or find 

 its food. 



(to be continued) 



SINGULAR BELIEF AMONG THE BAHAMA CREOLES 

 IN REGARD TO INDIAN STONE IMPLEMENTS 

 FOUND ON THE ISLANDS, 



BY 



Wm. D. McPherson. 



Fig. I in the present. number is a fine illustration of an Indian 

 axe. Mr. Maynard brought it from the island of Andros where it 

 was found. The axe was made of green quartzite, a stone very rare 

 for the Indians to use, and probably came either from Cuba or Hayti. 



The present inhabitants of the Bahamas, the Creoles, believe that 

 these axes and other stone implements which were used by the In- 

 dians, and which are occasionally found in the fields, formed the 

 nucleus of either a meteor or of a flash of lightning. They call 

 the stones thunderbolts, and consider that when kept in a house the}' 

 afford it protection against a stroke of lightning. 



See an account of this in a " Folk-lore among the West Indies" 

 Contributions to Science, Vol. II, p. p. i to 23, 



