MR. NEWPORT ON THE TEMPERATURE OF INSECTS. 
295 
the slightest degree affected by persons talking loudly in the room, while a gentle tap 
with one’s finger on the table put them immediately into a state of the greatest agi- 
tation. Hence during the observations it was necessary to be cautious, and not 
disturb the bees when wishing to take the temperature of the nest. The bees, how- 
ever, in the course of a day or two became accustomed to their situation, and were 
not disturbed by slight noises or vibrations ; and I was then enabled to take their 
temperature under all circumstances. The observations were commenced at 12 a.m., 
July 10, about two hours after the bees were placed in the box. The temperature of 
the atmosphere was then 70°*5 Fahr., that of the box and nest 73° ; but when they be- 
came excited it soon rose to 77° but gradually subsided again to 73° as the bees 
became quiet. The thermometer was introduced very carefully under the gauze cover- 
ing, and was not allowed to touch the bodi es of the bees in this and the subsequent ob- 
servations. At 1^ p.m., the insects having remained at rest for more than a quarter of 
an hour, atmosphere 70°, the thermometer, introduced as before, rose to 75°, and in a 
few minutes afterwards, when the bees had become much excited, to 80 o, 2, a difference 
of 1 0 o, 2 between the temperature of the atmosphere and that of the box ; and when the 
body of a bee touched the bulb of the thermometer, even but for an instant, the mer- 
cury immediately rose at least a degree on the scale. At 2^, atmosphere 70°'5, bees 
quiet, atmosphere of the box 76° ; but when they became much excited it rose in four 
minutes to 80°*4. At 12^ midnight, atmosphere 68°*5, interior of the box was 73°, the 
bees having been quiet during the previous nine hours; but when they became greatly 
excited it rose to 80°'3, a difference of 1 1 Q, 8. At 6 o’clock on the following morning, 
July 11, atmosphere 67°, the interior of the box was 71°, but when the bees became 
much excited it rose to 77°'3. At 12| midnight, atmosphere 67°’5, box with bees at 
rest 73°, when agitated 78°. At 7 a.m., July 13, the box in which the bees were con- 
fined had remained closed during the night, which had been perfectly calm and still, 
and at the time of making the present observation there was not a breath of wind 
stirring; indeed the air was suffocatingly calm, and its temperature 68 0- 7 ; when the 
thermometer was carefully introduced under the lid of the box the mercury rose 
to 72°, which was the temperature of the interior of the box around the nest, but 
when the thermometer was placed in the nest itself the temperature stood at 76°‘5. 
2. Nest of Bomb us in its natural haunts. 
Having proceeded thus far with my observations on the temperature of the nest, 
removed from its proper locality in the earth for the purpose of experiment, it became 
a matter of interest to endeavour to ascertain its temperature while undisturbed in 
its natural haunts. Having at length discovered the nest of a species of Bombus nearly 
allied to Bombus terrestris situated in a shaded chalk bank near the ground, and about 
eight inches from the surface, at 10 a.m., — the temperature of the atmosphere in the 
shade four feet from the ground being 68 0, 7 5 while that of the exterior of the chalk bank 
in which the nest was situated, and near the entrance to it was 66°, — I very carefully 
