OF INSECTS IN CENERAX. 
33S 
long been a received 'opinion, that hearing is denied to 
infefts ; or at leaft, that the exigence of this fenfe is very 
equivocal. Many of them, however, are endowed with 
the power of uttering founds ; as the bee, the fly, the 
gnat, and the beetle. The fphinx ntropos fqueaks when 
hurt, nearly as loud as a moufe ; it has even the power 
of uttering a plaintive note, in certain circumftances, 
which excites commiferation. In general, the power of 
uttering founds agreeable to the feelings and necefficies of 
animals, is conferred on them for the purpofe of com- 
municating thefe feeliugs to the reft of their kind. We 
have already feen, that fuch of the finny tribes as were 
vocal, were alfo endowed with organs for the reception 
of founds ; the fame, probably, is the cafe with the in left 
tribe. For what purpofe is the individual poffefled of 
the power of expreffing its pleafures or its pain, if all 
knowledge of found is denied to its tribe ? Were the fenfe 
of hearing withheld from the animals of the fame clafs, 
it muft crave affiftance in vain ; for it null fpeak a lan- 
guage deftined to be unintelligible to every being in na- 
ture *. 
Experience daily convinces us of the truth of the fore- 
going politicos. If a bee or wafp he attacked near the 
hive, the confi quence of this affault commonly is, that 
the animal exprefi'es its pain or indignation in a tone dif- 
ferent from its ordinary noife ; the complaint is immedi- 
ately underftood by the hive within, when the inhabit- 
ants hurry out to revenge the infult, in fuch numbers 
that the offending party feldom comes off with impunity. 
The fame evidence of hearing is continually afforded by 
the fpider : Often his webs are of fuch an enormous 
T t 2 lengthj 
\ 
* Yi4s Sarbiit’s Genera Infeftonun, p- 3, 
