Page:Jardine Naturalist's library Bees.djvu/48

 THE SENSES OF BEES.

Much uncertainty has prevailed on the subject of the senses possessed by this insect, not so much, perhaps, in regard to their existence as to the locality of the organs. Most naturalists admit their possession of five senses, analogous to those of man, though the celebrated Huber seems to have some doubt as to the existence of the faculty of hearing in Bees, at least without some important modifications. Greater diversity of opinion, however, prevails as to the situation of those organs by which the impressions of sight, touch, taste, sound, and smell are produced on their sensations; and many curious experiments by different naturalists have been made with a view to ascertain the truth, but which have not always led to the same results. In researches so minute, it is, perhaps, vain to look for perfect accuracy in our conclusions, and we must be satisfied with any thing like a reasonable approximation to the truth.

Sight.—In our remarks on the anatomical structure of the head of the Bee, we observed, that, besides the large reticulated eyes placed, as in other animals, on the sides of the head, this insect possessed three