206 SALMONIA. 



promise, and say a few words on winged in- 

 sects, which, in their origin and metamor- 

 phosis, offer the most extraordinary known 

 miracles perhaps of terrestrial natures. You 

 must be acquainted with the origin of our 

 common house flies? 



Phys. — We know that they spring from 

 maggots, and that both the common and 

 blue bottle fly deposit their ova in putrid 

 animal matter, where the eggs are hatched 

 and produce maggots, which, after feeding 

 upon the decomposing animal material, gra- 

 dually change, gain a hard or horny coat, 

 seem as if entombed, and wait in a kind of 

 apparent death or slumber, till they are ma- 

 ture for a new birth, when they burst their 

 coatings and appear in the character of 

 novel beings — fitted to inhabit another ele- 

 ment. 



Hal. — The history of the birth and me- 

 tamorphosis of all other winged insects is 

 very similar, but with peculiarities dependent 

 upon their organs, wants, and habits. You 

 know the curious details with which we have 

 been furnished by natural historians of bees 



