Abstract
WITH reference to Commander Hilton Young's suggestion noted on p. 409 of NATURE for March 24, it may possibly be of interest to record the conclusion at which I and my colleagues arrived, when engaged, two years ago, in research on the so-called eyes in insects and arachnida. In all the species studied, including the house-fly and red ants among the former, the house spider (Tegenaria domestica) and many of the Epeiræ among the latter, we were forced to the conclusion that the organs generally known as eyes do not act as organs of vision. What their main purpose is, was never certainly determined by us; but the many phenomena which were studied as evidence of sight could all be reduced to touch sensations. For example, to take perhaps the simplest illustration, if the hand be slowly advanced towards, a fly on a window-pane, the insect, if it be a vigorous, specimen, will evade the caress. But if the hand be advanced towards the fly when the insect is on the opposite side of the glass to the hand, it may often be necessary to tap severely in order to disturb, its wanderings.
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O'HEA, J. Tactile Vision of Insects and Arachnida. Nature 111, 498 (1923). https://doi.org/10.1038/111498b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/111498b0
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