Tactile Vision of Insects and Arachnida

Abstract

WITH regard to Father O'Hea's letter in NATURE of May 26, p. 705, I wish to point out— (1) That I originally questioned the statement that the house-fly and certain spiders avoided the approach of one's hand by detecting “convection currents.” (2) That experiments in this direction can only be made with totally blind insects. (3) That I have not stated that vision is universal or even general among insects and arachnida possessed of eyes, and I offer no explanation (at present) of the use or purpose of “sightless eyes.” Neither can I enter a discussion on “vision and light-sensitiveness.”