ORGANS OF SPECIAL SENSE. 105 



centre, and having two or three faintly visible con- 

 centric rings. These structures, although the first to 

 strike the eye, are the most difficult to understand, 

 and so had better be considered last. 



Schiemenz* has examined the antenna by sections, 

 and since my own work shows me the accuracy, beauty 

 and success of his, I adopt his drawing (Fig. 21), with 

 only one or two modifications. The smaller hairs 

 if)/) are loosely set into the chitine framework of the 

 antenna by a delicate ring, into which rises a nerve 

 end cell with a distinct nucleus. These hairs, standing 

 above the general surface, constitute the antennae 

 marvellous touch organs ; and, as they are distributed 

 all round each joint, the worker bee in a blossom cup, 

 or with its head thrust into a cell in the darkness of 

 the hive, is, by their means, as able accurately to 

 determine as though she saw; while the queen, 

 whose antenna is made after the same model, can 

 perfectly distinguish the condition of every part of 

 the cell into which her head may be thrust. The 

 last joint, which is flattened on one side, near the 

 end, is more thickly studded, and here the hairs are 

 uniformly bent towards the axis of the whole organ. 

 No one could have watched bees without discover- 

 ing that, by the antennae, intercommunication is ac- 

 complished ; but for this purpose front and side 

 hairs alone are required ; and the drone, unlike the 

 queen and worker, very suggestively, has no others, 

 since the condition of the cells is no part of his 

 care, if only the larder be well furnished. The 



* See Footnote, page 67. 



K 



