40 ABSURD STATEMENTS OF HUBER. 



obtain for these statements of Huber the slightest credi- 

 bility, he yet hesitates to give to the bees that sense, merely 

 because the locality of its organ cannot be discovered. 



We will adduce a third instance, and most reluctantly do 

 we introduce it, as it is a specimen of the grossest absurdity 

 which was ever admitted into the pages of an author, pro- 

 fessing from actual experience to elucidate any of the con- 

 troversial points of natural history. Consistently with 

 the oracular experience of Mr. Huber, the vernacular tongue 

 of his queen bees is the French ; and he affirms, that when 

 they condescend to speak it, the meaning thereof is dis- 

 tinctly understood by the common bees, which is a direct 

 implication that they do possess the sense of hearing. It 

 was generally affirmed by the early apiarians, that the 

 queens, previously to swarming, were heard to emit a sound 

 resembling, chip, chip, which sound, however, was never 

 yet emitted by any queen bee within the British dominions ; 

 although many credulous people, acting upon the above- 

 mentioned affirmation, still incline their ear to their hives 

 for the purpose of catching the welcome sound, as it is 

 believed to be an announcement of the departure of a swarm 

 on the following day. We do not, however, hesitate to affirm, 

 that neither the queen bee, nor the common bees, possess 

 the faculty of articulating any particular sound, and after 

 this positive affirmation, in what light must we view the 

 assertion of Huber, founded on his oracular evidence, that 

 he has frequently heard his queen bees exclaim, " Je suis 

 ici ! je suis id ! I am here ! I am here !" and that the said 

 exclamation was no sooner heard by the common bees, than 

 they flocked in crowds to ascertain the meaning of the 

 exclamation, and to execute whatever commands her majesty 

 might be pleased to issue ? 



We have thus adduced three instances, in which Huber as- 

 serts, that the bees,/rom his own evidence, did positively hear a 

 particular sound ; further, that their actions were immedi- 



