44 



INSECT TRANSFORMATIONS. 



prevent the aperture from being closed up by the 

 rapid growth of the plant, 



Reaumur gives an interesting description of a 

 similar egg deposited by a common dung-fly, of a 

 yellowish-orange colour, {Scatophaga stercoraria, 

 Meigen). These eggs are furnished at the upper 

 end with two divergent pegs, which prevent them 

 from sinking into the dung where they are placed by 

 tlie parent, while they are permitted to enter suffi- 

 ciently far to preserve them moist. Both circum- 

 stances are indispensable to their liatching ; for 

 when Reaumur took them out of the dung, they 

 siirivelled up in a few hours, and when he immersed 

 tiiem farther than the two pegs, they were suffocated, 

 and could not afterwards be hatched*. 



d 



a, Dung fly (Scafuph'iga Sterroran'a') : be, fro if and side 

 views of its eggs ir.agnitied; d d d, a lumber of tlv se eggs 

 deposited in cow-dung. 



Before we began to study the habits of insects, we 

 found upon a lilac-twig; in the neighbourhood of 

 London, a singular production, which we took for a 

 very delicate fungus, and supposing it not to be 

 common, we carefully preserved the specimens; but 

 we have since learned, with no little sur]irise, that 

 these are the eggs of the lace-winged fly (Chrysopa 

 reiicvlata. Leach). Reaumur says that several 

 naturalists have described them as fungi, which is 

 !U)t to be wondered at; for they consist of a small 

 oval grt'cnish-white head, similar to the apple-mould, 

 * Reaumur, iv. 379 



