528 INSTINCT OF INSECTS. 
But the most striking fact evincing the memory of 
these Jast-mentioned insects has been communicated ta 
me by my intelligent friend Mr. William Stickney, of 
Ridgemont, Holderness. About twenty years ago, a 
swarm from one of this gentleman’s hives took posses- 
sion of an opening beneath the tiles of his house, whence, 
after remaining a few hours, they were dislodged and | 
hived. For many subsequent years, when the hives de- 
scended from this stock were about to swarm, a consi- 
derable party of scouts were observed for a few days be- 
fore to be reconnoitring about the old hole under the 
tiles; and Mr. Stickney is persuaded, that if suffered 
they would have established themselves there. He is 
certain that for eight years successively the descendants 
of the very stock that first took possession of the hole 
frequented it as above stated, and not those of any other 
swarms; having constantly noticed them, and ascertained 
that they were bees from the original hive by powdering 
them while about the tiles with yellow ochre, and watch- 
ing their return. And even at the present time there 
are still seen every swarming season about the tiles, bees, 
which Mr. Stickney has no doubt are descendants from 
the original stock. 
Had Dr. Darwin been acquainted with this fact, he 
would have adduced it as proving that insects can con- 
vey traditionary information from one generation to 
another; and at the first glance the circumstance of 
the descendants of the same stock retaining a know- 
ledge of the same fact for twenty years, during which 
period there must have been as many generations of bees, 
would seem to warrant the inference. But as itis more 
probable that the party of surveying scouts ef the first ge- 
