Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1914-07-23
Insect TeIepathy.

ers," as we do still. When an ant or
cockroach runs along the ground with
those quivering threads held straight for-
ward, and touches every object he meets,
like blind man with his cane, the idea
OF "feeling the way is instantly sug-
gested. Yet this is probably the least
important use of these organs. The sem
ses OF smell and hearing also reside in
the antennae.
That the powers of antennae differ
much among insects is clear from the
great variety in their form. Some look
perfectly smooth, and vary in length from
short spikes TO long whips. Even these
may be fringed with microscopic down
finer than the finest cobweb, and appar-
emily sensitive TO impressions far too
slight for us TO perceive. Others have
highly complicated forms-numerously
branched all round, like young pine, or
flat and feathery, or thick and coiled, or
club shaped, or with the surface curiously
sculptured, or studded with protuber-
ances.
All antennae are composed ofsegments
like ointed fishing rod, and male in
sects have more segments than female.
All are hollow, and contain nerve cable
from The "brain," whence fibrils reach
the root of each branch or hair; and these
often microscopic appendages are the
real sense organs-the stem OF the feeler
is only the structure that supports them.
The joints give flexibiity, and enable an
insect to learn the shape as well as the
consistency of the article it touches, and
also to hold the antennae in the best po-
sition TO catch any odor or sound that the
creature wishes 10 understand.
Students of the behavior Of ants believe
that some OF the segments bear a sense
organ OF smell that enables these insects
TO distinguish between odorS in an as
tonishing way. Thus they not only
know their own kind, and their nest
mates from neighbors, but they recog-
nize the different classes and ages in the
colony.
Such delicate perception by means OF
the antennae OF an odor, or ofSome chem
ical influence that we can only compare
to an odor, will account, perhaps, for the
ability OF many insects to communicate
with one another at distance. Male
moths will discover the place where a
female OF their race has been experiment.
ally hidden with skill hard to explain.
One theory is that, when the mating sea-
ing season is at hand, the female moth
produces chemical emanation that af-
fects males within considerably distance
strongly.
II is the opinion of most entomologistS,
however, that the sense employed in
this and other cases of seeming "telepa-
thy" is that of hearing rather than OF
smell. II is noticeable that in almost all
insects the antennae of the males are lar
ger and more complex than those OF the
females. Those OF our big siIkworm
moths are branched in the male like fern
leaf, while those OF his mate are mere
knobbed stems; and every branchlet OF
this "fern" is clothed with hairs invisible
to our eyes, each reached by nervelet
that branches from the main cable within
the antenna.
That our ears cannot hear the sounds
made by a moth although in few cases
we can do So proves nothing, for there
is considerable range OF sound waves
in the air so high in pitch that even the
keenest human ear is unable TO catch,
and report them TO the brain. On the
outermost margin OF Our powers of hear
ing are certain animal noises, like the
shrll cries OF bats, and the fine needle
sharp humming OF minute flies that some
persons cannot hear at all. Very likely
the microscopic hairs on the antennae of
such a fly vibrate with waves OF pitch
far too high for us. Therefore the moths
may sing Siren songs 10 which we are
quite deaf.
A palmer example is furnished by the
mosquitoes. Here the female, which
does the biting and most if not all OF the
buzzing, has thread OF an antenna bear
ing few whorlS Of short hairs only,
while the male carries pair OF beautiful
bushes, that spray out into hairs so fine
that strong microscope is required TO
perceive them. II is not easy TO think OF
such an organ as an ear; yet what could
be better than this excessively delicate
instrument to catch waves OF sound in
the air ? Besides It, the drum and the
inner parts OF our ears seem coarse and
clumsy.
Thatthe males are pore highly endowed
with these perceptiTe senses than the fe-
males seems due TO the fact that il is their
business to hunt for their mates OF the
other sex, who wait to be found, yet try
to make their waiting place known. The
more perfect males faculties and means
for finding this waiting mate. the more
likely he is to discover her ahead OF
weaker brother, and so not only are the
strongest parents Selected" but the
tendency TO increased perfection in the
perceptive faculty is strengthened. An
interesting point that experiment also
brought out is that the male. mosquito
can probably hear little, il anything, ex-
cept the buzzing OF gnat of his own
species-that is, a suitable mate for him.
therefore, TO be an ideal lover.
A small boy who had been naughty was
told by his mother that he must take
whipping. He ran upstairs and hid in the