84 OF THE SENSES OF 
organ may be regarded as that of smell. Should, 
therefore, the antenne present a tissue of many 
nerves, what inconvenience can take place from 
supposing this tissue the medium of transmitting 
odours? Would not this hypothesis, on the contrary, 
be more simple and more consonant to anatomical 
principles, than that which fixes the seat of smell 
at the entrance of the stigmata ?” 
Mr Kirby, however, mentions one observation he 
made in his description of the Long-horned Bee, 
(Eucera.) “ A singular circumstance distinguishes 
their antenne, which, to the best of my knowledge, 
has never been before noticed; and which may pos- 
sibly lead to the discovery of the use of these organs. 
Placed under a powerful magnifier, the last ten 
joints appear to be composed of innumerable hexa- 
gons, similar to those of which the eyes of insects 
consist.” Mr Rennie, in alluding to this fact, says, 
“If we reason from analogy, this remarkable cir- 
cumstance will lead us to conjecture, that the sense, 
of which this part so essential to insects is the organ, 
may bear some relation to that conveyed by the eyes. 
As they are furnished with no instrument for pre- 
serving and communicating the impressions of sound 
similar to the ear, that deficiency may be supplied 
by extraordinary means of vision. That the stem- 
mata are of this description seems very probable ; 
and the antenne may, in some degree, answer a 
similar purpose : the circumstance just mentioned 
