Evening star., 1922-07-01

build bridges or ladders of their
own bodies for the others to pass
over.
1t is reasonable to believe that in
and the question arises, how do they
communicate?
Shrimp Have Detectors.
Many species of shrimp have the
remarkable habit Of placing minute
grains Of sand in their ears-or what
pass for ears-which are little open
ings at the base of the antennae.
Formerly scientists thought these
aided in hearing. but now we are be-
ginning to think that these serve as
detectors or amplifiers to aid the
creatures in picking up waves from
others Of their kind.
If We examine the antennae of in
sects we find that in many ways they
closely resemble the antennae or
aerials Of a radio station. There are
the slender single antennae OF GER
tain beetles and all butterflies. the
club shaped antennae OF other beetles
with fan-like tips which can be open
ferent wave lengths. the feather
like antennae of moths and antennae
Of several parallel filaments like the
multi-stranded aerials.
The antennae of no two species are
alike, but every individual of GER
tain species has exactly the same type
and form of antennae and II we as
sumo that insects do talk by radio
this is exactly what would be ex
pected. With hundreds of species OF
insects living in the same spot, ~
must be essential that each species
receives only the waves sent out oy
others of it's species. No doubt each
type of antennae sends out ana re-
ceives one particular type OF wave
or vibration. In other words. eacn
form Of antennae Is tuned 10 rter a Ger
tain wave and cuts out the interIer-
ences of other insects.
Recent experiments tend to prove
that the light of f1ref1fes Is not used
by the insects as a visible slgnal 10
one another, but that 1t produces oS-
citations or waves ana tna' ~ 70
these waves, and not the light, which
attracts others or conveys meaning to
them.
Radio Controls Creatures.
Watch a moth or butterfly and you
will see it moving its antennae back
and forth, first in one direction ana
then in another, and constantly vi
brating them exactly as you would
turn a loop aerial or a resonance coll.
Then. when at last the direction is
found, the creature will fly straight
as an arrow to another moth which
has been calling. Place the ant or
the moth under a glass or in a bottle
and vet it will still be able TO COM
municate with It's fellows. Indeed.
some scientists go even further. They
claim that all creatures, man In
cluded, are guided and controlled by
radio, or, at least, by a flow Of cleo
irons In other words. the vague.
inexplicable thing we call instinct
is merely a form of radio.
The honey bee. flying straight to
it's distant hive, is controlled by some
force. guided by some power which
is now thought to be form of radio.
The carrier pigeon is guided on its
remarkable homing flights by radio.
Even the instinct. as we call 1t, OF
cat or a dog to find it's way straight
to its old home, even though it Is
carried in a tight box by train or
boat, is probably radio. and the very
fact that the bee, the pigeon, the dog
or the cat have limits beyond which
they cannot find their way seems
proof OF radio or electric control.
Eels Generate Electricity.
Hertz gave the name antennae to
aerials because OF their resemblance
to the antennae Of insects. Perhaps
you say a tiny insect cannot generate
electricity; that 1t is impossible for
such a creature to produce power to
send out waves. But why? Electric
cells and the fish known as the tor
pedo" generate enough electricity to
knock q man down. Even the human
heart produces low galvanic currents.
IT,. as we now believe, heat. energy,
electricity, light and matter are made