52 INSECT TRANSFORMATIONS. 



tering the young grub from the inclemencies of the 

 weather, or from being preyed upon by birds. There 

 are more insidious and no less destructive enemies 

 than these to guard against. This we shall imme- 

 diately show from the economy of other families of 

 the same order, whose proceedings also strictly 

 illustrate the subject of maternal care. In popular 

 works on natural history tiie insects alluded to are 

 indiscriminately called Ichneumons^ a name signifying 

 PryerSj and first given by Aristotle to wasps. But 

 recently this term has been considerably restricted, 

 and therefore does not properly apply to many 

 insects whose economy resembles the true ichneu- 

 mons. It is the practice, then, of a very great num- 

 ber of insects, of different orders and families, to take 

 advantage of the labours of other insects in pro- 

 viding for their progeny, in the same way as the 

 common cuckoo and the cow-bunting of America 

 {Emberiza pecoris, Wilson) lay their eggs in the 

 nests of other birds. The venerable Dr Jenner was 

 the first to publish,* what had long been known to 

 our peasants, that the young cuckoo, when hatched, 

 soon ejects from the nest into which it has been 

 surreptitiously introduced the eggs or young of its 

 foster parent; but the insects under notice act still 

 more ungratefully. They do not, indeed, live upon 

 the honey or other provision stored up by the 

 builder of the nest for the use of her own young, 

 since, being all carnivorous, this is not to their taste; 

 but they permit the rightful owner of the food to 

 feast and fatten on it, that they may make of him a 

 more substantial repast. The great numbers of dif- 

 ferent species of insects which are reared in this sin- 

 gular manner would appear almost incredible to one 

 who had not studied their economy; but it cannot 

 fail to meet the young entomologist at the very 



* Phil. Trans, for 1788, p. 219. 



i 



