Page:White - The natural history of Selborne, and the naturalist's calendar, 1879.djvu/441

Rh 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 soon as the eggs were hatched, the carcase would afford ready food for the maggots.

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.—. In my "Naturalist's Calendar" for 1795, July 21st, I 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 chrysales 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 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 tipulæ, which pierces the tender bodies and deposits 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.—.

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.—. I have often seen this insect fly with great velocity, stop on