MANAGEMENT OF HONEY BEES. 15 
and much flattened, is furnished with a pair 
of large eyes, of what is called by naturalists 
the composite construction, and consisting 
of a vast assemblage of small hexagonal sur- 
faces, disposed with exquisite regularity, 
each constituting in itself a perfect eye; 
they are thickly studded with hairs, which 
preserves them from dust, &c. In addition 
to these means of vision, the Bee is provided 
with three small stemmata, or coronetted 
eyes, situated in the very crown of the head, 
and arranged in the form of a triangle. 
These must add considerably to the capaci- 
ty of vision in an insect whose most impor- 
tant operations are carried on in deep ob- 
security. As to the special or peculiar use 
these ocelli may serve, Reaumur and Blu- 
menbach were of opinion, that, while the 
larger compound organs are used for view- 
ing distant objects, the simple ones are em- 
ployed on objects close at hand. It is not 
improbable however, that these last, from 
their peculiar position, are appropriated to 
upward vision. "The antenne present us 
