Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution . wever, that a large swallowtailbutterfly {Papilio polyxenes) is able to fly well after having its eyesthoroughly blackened with a mixture of glue and powdered charcoaluntil it no longer reacts to light in a room. (The normal butterflygoes at once to a window.) An individual thus blindfolded flutteredabout aimlessly in a room with three windows on one side, thoughbefore, when liberated, it flew directly to a window. Taken out ofdoors it immediately flew upward in w^idening circles, finally goinghigh over the roof of a two-st
Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution . wever, that a large swallowtailbutterfly {Papilio polyxenes) is able to fly well after having its eyesthoroughly blackened with a mixture of glue and powdered charcoaluntil it no longer reacts to light in a room. (The normal butterflygoes at once to a window.) An individual thus blindfolded flutteredabout aimlessly in a room with three windows on one side, thoughbefore, when liberated, it flew directly to a window. Taken out ofdoors it immediately flew upward in w^idening circles, finally goinghigh over the roof of a two-story house and disappearing over the topsof trees beyond. Clearly this insect did not require the use of itseyes to keep itself in the proper position for flying. Another individ-ual of the same species was able to fly in the normal way when its entirehead was cut off, though, after the manner of insects lacking a brain,it had no inclination to do so, except when artificially thrown into the air, it fell straight down, but the sudden con-82328—30 28.
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