46 SENSE OF SIGHT. 



introduced and admitted by certain individuals, as accredited 

 facts in the natural history of the bee. It appears that 

 Huber dipped a camel's hair brush into some turpentine, 

 and applied it to various parts of the body, without the bee 

 betraying any symptoms of an uneasy feeling. He applied 

 it to the antennae, and the eyes without any visible effect ; 

 we have done the same, but so far from the bee not betray- 

 ing any symptoms of an uneasy feeling, the bee was dead 

 in three minutes afterwards. The bee, however, on which 

 Huber tried his experiment appears to have escaped that 

 heavy infliction ; but, according to his statement, when the 

 turpentine was applied to the mouth, the bee started, and 

 well indeed it might, for it was a species of aliment by no 

 means congenial to its taste— it forsook the honey on 

 which it had been previously regaling, and was preparing 

 to take to its wings, when the turpentine was withdrawn. 

 The climax, however, of this experiment is yet to come ; 

 for Huber having obtained some paste, proceeded to close 

 up the mouth of the bee, when he discovered that the bee 

 appeared to have lost the sense of smell altogether ; from 

 which the inference is drawn that the mouth is the organ 

 of smell : in which most extraordinary opinion Mr. Duncan 

 coincides, for he says, the organ of smell therefore appears 

 to reside in the mouth, or in the parts depending on it j and 

 Mr. Duncan closes his remarks with the following sagacious 

 advice, which is, that, should any one be desirous of 

 repeating this experiment, the first step to be taken is 

 to cut off the sting of the bee ; and we may add, if the 

 experimentalist wishes to kill the bee, paste up his mouth, 

 and the act will very soon be accomplished. 



In regard to the sense of sight, the bee has two reticulated 

 eyes placed on either side of the head, consisting of a 

 number of hexagonal surfaces thickly studded with hairs, 

 which protect them from exterior injury. Some naturalists 

 have given them also three stemmata or coronetted eyes, 



