ORGANS OF SPECIAL SENSE. 107 



patch of perhaps twenty, which creep round towards 

 the front. We have two of these in section [ho, Fig. 

 21), where we see the hole leads into a large cavity, 

 beyond which extends a widening cone. I am not 

 convinced that this cone is filled, as Schiemenz 

 supposes, for I regard it as an organ of hearing, its 

 larger size in the drone, with his possible need of 

 distinguishing the sound of the queen's wings, and 

 its position on the outer sides and ends of the 

 antennae, seeming to me to favour this opinion. It 

 also appears to answer to parts considered to be 

 auditory organs in other insects."* 



Sir J. Lubbock has commonly been regarded as 

 asserting the total deafness of bees; but, in a corre- 

 spondence of some years since, the distinguished 

 investigator assured me his position was negative, as 

 he merely failed to get evidence of bees hearing. Sir J. 

 Lubbock's experiments I cannot but regard as most 

 inconclusive, since tuning-forks, whistles, and violins, 

 emit no sounds to which any instinct of these crea- 

 tures could respond. Should some alien being watch 

 humanity during a thunderstorm, he might quite simi- 

 larly decide that thunder was to us inaudible. 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 immediate response, while others 

 evoke no wasted emotion. In practical matters, the 

 hearing of bees is not only often obvious, but must 



* "Ants, Wasps, and Bees," page 227, Sir J. Lubbock (Inter- 

 national Science Series). 



