POSITION OF EGGS. j.>, 



with a white transparent stem, more than an inch 

 high, not thicker than a human hair, but much 

 more stiff and rigid. About a dozen of these eggs 

 are deposited in a single and sometimes in a double 

 line, upon the leaves and branches of elder or other 

 trees and plants abounding with aphides, upon which 

 the grubs feed when hatched. The footstalks of 

 these eggs are formed by the mother-fly attaching a 

 drop of gluten to the branch, and drawing it out 

 (as a spider does its line) to the requisite length 

 before the egg is deposited on its summit. As she 

 uses her body for a measure, the footstalks are by 

 consequence all nearly of equal length. It is evi- 

 dently the design of these footstalks to place the eggs 

 out of the reach of the grubs of lady-birds {Coc- 

 cinellce) and of aphidivorous flies {Syrphi), which 



Twig of lilac, bearing the ep;gs of the lace-wingcd fly (^CUrysopa 

 reticulata, Leach}. The fly is seen resting on the lowest leaf. 



