142 GRAMMAR OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



insensible to feeling, either as regards the ascer- 

 taining of qualities or the sensation of pain. 



534. Taste is undoubtedly possessed by insects 

 in an eminent degree ; and they seem to have the 

 same preferences for animal or vegetable food 

 which are evinced by vertebrated animals. 



535. Smell appears to be the sense by which 

 insects are led to discover strongly-scented sub- 

 stances at a great distance, where it is quite 

 impossible that sight should aid them ; its seat, 

 however, is wholly unknown. 



536. Hearing seems also to be possessed by 

 insects, or to what purpose would the merry 

 cricket sing his evening song, if there were none 

 of his kind to listen to, and admire it ? The seat of 

 this sense is also wholly unknown. 



537. Sight is a sense of which we have abundant 

 evidence ; it is seated in two large compound eyes, 

 often occupying nearly the whole head, and also 

 occasionally in three minute simple eyes, situated 

 in a triangle on the crown of the head. 



538. The mind of insects is more wonderful 

 than our own : it has no speculation, no retention, 

 no judgment, no power ; it is, in fact, an existence 

 which comes perfect from the Creator ; the new- 

 born bee is perfectly mistress of architecture ; she 

 is heaven-instructed : the mind is not only the 

 ruling sense, but is a distinct immaterial element. 



