164 AN INSECT MIRACLE. 



knock up a business carried on at such serious public cost; 

 but though these devils of printers were battered, together 

 with their type, within their books of bark though the trees 

 of their habitation were laid upon ice, and finally plunged in 

 water, they remained alive and unhurt. 



A somewhat similar but yet more wonderful instance of 

 obstinate vitality ha^ worthily obtained a place amongst the 

 " Miracula Insectorum ' of Linnaeus. This is afforded by 

 certain tough-coated grubs,* with rat-like tails, which are 

 common inhabitants of drains and stagnant waters. These, 

 often becoming part and parcel of the turbid pulp used in 

 paper making, exposed afterwards to the action of wooden 

 mallets, and finally squeezed in strongest presses, are declared fre- 

 quently to have survived uninjured these annihilating operations. 



In July or August these miraculous little animals assume 

 the chrysalis or pupa, still retaining their rattish tails, and, 

 early in September, cleave the air as black and yellow flies, 

 bearing some resemblance to drone bees.t We found last 

 summer, laid up in the decayed wood of an old willow, a large 

 assemblage of these rat- tailed pupa?, which had probably, 

 while yet grubs, deserted, for the hollow of the tree, some 

 stagnant and very uninviting pools adjacent. 



But what is the tinge of the marvellous, investing the above 

 relations, compared with the red-hot hue of wonder which 

 colours the following almost incredible, yet (as it would seem) 



* Rat-tailed larvae (Eristalis tenax] Sewer Fly. f Vignette. 



