1244 Experiments with the Antenne of Insects, 
the above may be taken as representative, I have been led to 
make the following conclusions : : oe 
ist. The antennz are not the organ of any one or of any com- 
bination of what we call the five senses—hearing, seeing, smell- 
ing, touching, tasting. With respect to these the only sense 
or other, to tell the difference between good and bad tasting 
things when such things are brought in contact with the anter 
nz. But I do not think we have any more reason for saying that 
insects taste with their antennz because they dislike to have such 
things as pepper-sauce poured on them than we would have K 
concluding that a man tastes with his nostrils simply because! 
would object to having them filled with the same fluid. Buto 
the other hand, this apparent sense of taste is, in many instances, | 
nothing more than the insect’s desire to clean off whatever mi 
be put on its antennæ, Every one knows that they are mo% 
kept very clean by the insect at all times, and are, as a rule, ofal 
parts of the body most free from extraneous matter. They 
dom notice anything put to them unless it be of a nature to 
here to them. But as soon as anything, even pure water, 
to them, they immediately draw them through the mo 
and if it be anything palatable, as sugar, for instance, tey a 
to suck at it. But the very fact that often when they get 
thing distasteful they begin to spit and clean the mouth, 1s en 
to show that they did not get a taste of it before they put 
the mouth. And aside from all this, who ever saw an 
its antennæ to taste with? Butterflies and similar 1s 
probing the deepest flowers, hold them nearly erect “i 
others, such as the bee, wasp, &c., they scarcely reach x 
lower part of the head, not to take into account the i 
the extended tongue. 
2d. I do not think the power of direction is in the y 
is true some insects seem to have lost the power oo 
their flight when the antenne are cut off. But besi™ oe those 
that many others are not so affected, we know that wpa 
that are, soon recover and are able to move about as Yr 
3d. Lastly, I am inclined to adopt the opinion of 
velot that the antenna are the organ of some sense a 
by us, But I can hardly say with him that this seme 
£ 
