68 ROSE BEDEGUARS. 



admirable. The Bedegiiar grubs live in their cells through the 

 winter, and, as their domicile is usually on one of the highest 

 branches, it must be exposed to every severity of the weather. 

 But the close non-conducting warm mossy collection of bristles, 

 with which it is surrounded, forms, for the soft tender grubs, a 

 snug protection against the winter's cold ; till, through the 

 influence of the warmth of the succeeding summer, they undergo 

 the final change into the winged state, preparatory to wliich 

 they eat their way with their sharp mandibles through the walls 

 of the little cells, which are then so hard as to be cut with 

 difficulty by a knife."* 



The rightful possessors of this comfortable moss-covered 

 hybernaculum are four-winged flies of no extraordinary beauty ; t 

 but amongst the usurpers, which frequently deprive them in 

 infancy of life and lodging, are some splendid ichneumon pa- 

 ra>ites,J which have been pronounced unrivalled for elegance of 

 form and brilliancy of colour. Their bodies, resplendent with 

 metallic hues, gold and purple, green and blue, and their 

 wings (also four) with iridescent lustre, these insect gems, 

 which want nothing but size to dazzle the admiring eye, are 

 beautiful objects for the microscope, and are easily procurable 

 by keeping some of the rose Bedeguars, gathered in autumn or 

 in spring, until about June; when, if placed under a glass, the 

 egress of their occupants, whether legitimate or surreptitious, 

 ma\ be conveniently observed. 



* Insect Architecture. f Vignette, | Vignette. 



