16 TREATISE ON THE 
with another remarkable appendage of the 
head. These are two tubes about the thick- 
ness of a hair, springing from between the 
eyes, and a little below the ocelli; they are 
jointed throughout their whole length, each 
consisting of twelve articulations, and there- 
fore capable of every variety of flexure. 
Their extremities are tipped with small round 
knobs, exquisitely sensible, and which, from 
their resemblance to the stemmata or ocelli, 
have been supposed by some to serve as or- 
gans of vision ; by others, as connected with 
the sense of hearing; and by others, as or- 
gans of feeling or touch. This last seems 
the most probable conjecture, as on approach- 
ing any solid object or obstacle, the Bee cau- 
tiously brings its antenne in contact with 
it, as if exploring its nature. The insects 
use these organs, also, as a means of recog- 
nizing one another, and an interesting in- 
stance is stated by Huber, in which they 
were employed to ascertain the presence of 
their queen. The mouth of the Bee com- 
prehends the tongue, the mandibles or upper 
