bloom of the honeysuckle; it scarcely settles upon the plants, but feeds on the wing, in the manner of humming birds. *

It is

WILD BEE.-There is a sort of wild bee frequenting the garden-campion for the sake of its tomentum, which probably it turns to some purpose in the business of nidification. very pleasant to see with what address it strips off the pubes, running from the top to the bottom of a branch, and shaving it bare with all the dexterity of a hoop shaver. When it has got a vast bundle, almost as large as itself, it flies away, holding it secure between its chin and its fore legs.

There is a remarkable hill on the downs near Lewes, in Sussex, known by the name of Mount Carburn, which overlooks that town, and affords a most engaging prospect of all the country round, besides several views of the sea. On the very summit of this exalted promontory, and amidst the trenches of its Danish camp, there haunts a species of wild bee, making its nest in the chalky soil. When people approach the place, these insects begin to be alarmed, and, with a sharp and hostile sound, dash and strike round the heads and faces of intruders. I have often been interrupted myself while contemplating the grandeur of the scenery around me, and have thought myself in danger of being stung.

WASPS.-Wasps abound in woody wild districts, far from neighbourhoods: they feed on flowers, and catch flies and caterpillars to carry to their young. Wasps make their nests with the raspings of sound timber; hornets, with what they

* I have frequently seen the large bee moth, (sphinx stellatarum,) inserting its long tongue, or proboscis, into the centre of flowers, and feeding on their nectar, without settling on them, but keeping constantly on the wing.-MARKWICK.

OBSERVATIONS ON INSECTS.

.313 gnaw from decayed: these particles of wood are kneaded up with a mixture of saliva from their bodies, and moulded into combs.

When there is no fruit in the gardens, wasps eat flies, and suck the honey from flowers, from ivy blossoms, and umbellated plants: they carry off also flesh from butchers' shambles.*

CESTRUS CURVICAUDA.- This insect lays its nits, or eggs, on horses' legs, flanks, &c. each on a single hair. The maggots, when hatched, do not enter the horses' skins, but fall to the ground. It seems to abound most in moist, moorish places, though sometimes seen in the uplands. †

NOSE FLY.- About the beginning of July, a species of fly (musca) obtains, which proves very tormenting to horses, trying still to enter their nostrils and ears, and actually laying their eggs in the latter of those organs, or perhaps in both. When these abound, horses in woodland districts become very impatient at their work, continually tossing their heads, and rubbing their noses on each other, regardless of the driver; so that accidents often ensue. In the heat of the day, men are often obliged to desist from ploughing. Saddle-horses are also very troublesome at such seasons. Country people call this insect the nose fly.‡

ICHNEUMON FLY.—I saw lately a small ichneumon fly attack a spider much larger than itself, on a grass walk. When the spider made any resistance, the ichneumon applied her tail to him, and stung him with great vehemence, so that he soon became dead and motionless. The ichneumon then

running backward, drew her prey very nimbly over the walk into the standing grass. This spider would be deposited in some hole, where the ichneumon would lay some eggs; and as

* In the year 1775, wasps abounded so prodigiously in this neighbourhood, that, in the month of August, no less than seven or eight of their nests were ploughed up in one field; of which there were several instances, as I was informed.

In the spring, about the beginning of April, a single wasp is sometimes seen, which is of a larger size than usual: this, I imagine, is the queen, or female wasp, the mother of the future swarm.-MARKWICK.

The Estrus hominis, or human gadfly, is a native of the West India Islands, and deposits its eggs in the human skin, where they change to the maggot state, and occasion great pain; so many as two hundred and thirty-five have been known to be propagated in the flesh of an individual. Professor Jameson's Journal for April, 1830, records some curious cases of this kind. ED.

Is not this insect the astrus nasalis of Linnæus, so well described by Mr Clark, in the third volume of the Linnæan Transactions, under the name of astrus veterinus ?- MARKWICK.

soon as the eggs were hatched, the carcass would afford ready food for the maggots. *

*The eggs of insects are liable to great variety of forms, and external markings: they are seldom oval, like those of birds. Some are figured on one side, and plain on the other. The following are examples of a few of these forms:

3

2

No. 1. is an egg of the speckled wood butterfly, (hipparchia ægeria.) 2. the small tortoise-shell butterfly.-3. the large tortoise-shell butterfly.

4. Angle shades moth.-5. Lackey moth.-6. Cabbage butterfly. Nature is no less fanciful in the strange freaks which she exhibits, in many of the caterpillars of insects; among these may be noticed the following figure, the lobster caterpillar, (stauropus fagi, of Germar.)

OBSERVATIONS ON INSECTS.

315

Perhaps some eggs might be injected into the body of the spider, in the act of stinging. Some ichneumons deposit their eggs in the aurelia of moths and butterflies.*

This singular animal is of a rich orange colour; and has frequently caused great alarm amongst the ignorant and superstitious, from the preying attitude which it assumes. The habitations of some moths display great ingenuity: and in the preparation of these, the animals manifest much intuitive foresight. The goat moth (cossus ligniperda) excavates for itself a hollow in a tree, fit for its reception. The following is a figure of a winter nest of one of these, formed of a fabric, consisting of the raspings of a tree, united with strong silk:

Many of the insect tribe are subject to great diversity of shape in the male and female; and in some instances are so unlike, that they might well pass for distinct species. We offer the following as not much diversified examples of this:

1. Female vapourer moth.

2. The male ditto ED.

* In my Naturalist's Calendar for 1795, July 21st, 1 find the following note:

It is not uncommon for some of the species of ichneumon flies to deposit their eggs in the chrysalis of a butterfly. Some time ago, I put two of the chrysalis of a butterfly into a box, and covered it with gauze, to discover what species of butterfly they would produce; but instead of a butterfly, one of them produced a number of small ichneumon flies.

There are many instances of the great service these little insects are of to mankind in reducing the number of noxious insects, by depositing their eggs in the soft bodies of their larvæ; but none more remarkable than that of the ichneumon tipula, which pierces the tender body, and deposits

BOMBYLIUS MEDIUS.- The bombylius medius is much about in March and the beginning of April, and soon seems to retire. It is a hairy insect, like a humble-bee, but with only two wings, and a long, straight beak, with which it sucks the early flowers. The female seems to lay its eggs as it poises on its wings, by striking its tail on the ground, and against the grass that stands in its way, in a quick manner, for several times together. *

MUSCE, (FLIES.)- In the decline of the year, when the mornings and evenings become chilly, many species of flies (musca) retire into houses, and swarm in the windows.

At first they are very brisk and alert; but, as they grow more torpid, one cannot help observing that they move with difficulty, and are scarce able to lift their legs, which seem as if glued to the glass; and by degrees, many do actually stick on till they die in the place.

It has been observed that divers flies, besides their sharp, hooked nails, have also skinny palms, or flaps to their feet, whereby they are enabled to stick on glass and other smooth bodies, and to walk on ceilings with their backs downward, by means of the pressure of the atmosphere on those flaps; the weight of which they easily overcome in warm weather, when they are brisk and alert. But, in the decline of the year, this resistance becomes too mighty for their diminished strength; and we see flies labouring along, and lugging their feet in windows, as if they stuck fast to the glass, and it is with the utmost difficulty they can draw one foot after another, and disengage their hollow caps from the slippery surface.

Upon the same principle that flies stick and support themselves, do boys, by way of play, carry heavy weights by only a piece of wet leather, at the end of a string, clapped close on the surface of a stone.

TIPULE, OR EMPEDES.-May.-Millions of empedes, or tipula, come forth at the close of day, and swarm to such a degree as to fill the air. At this juncture they sport and copulate; as it grows more dark they retire. All day they hide in the hedges. As they rise in a cloud they appear like smoke.

its eggs in the larva of the tipula tritici, an insect which, when it abounds greatly, is very prejudicial to the grains of wheat. This operation I have frequently seen it perform with wonder and delight. — MARKWICK.

I have often seen this insect fly with great velocity, stop on a sudden, hang in the air in a stationary position for some time, and then fly off again; but do not recollect having ever seen it strike its tail against the ground, or any other substance. MARKWICK.