76 INSECT TRANSFORMATIONS. 



erring" than the practised eye of the botanist, she re- 

 cognizes the plant the moment she approaches it*." 

 And again, they talk of " the vnerring foresight with 

 which the female deposits her eggs in the precise 

 place where the larvae when excluded are sure to find 

 suitable food t-" This unconditional position requires, 

 however, to be considerably modified to make it cor- 

 respond with the facts. The experiment we gave from 

 lledi in our first chapter, in which the carnivorous 

 flies laid their eggs on the silk and paper covering 

 tainted meat, will occur to every reader as one striking- 

 exception ; and we can mention several others still 

 more marked. When Dr. Arnold discovered that 

 most singular parasitic plant, thekrubut, of Sumatra, 

 (Rqfflesia Aruoldii^ Brown,) which consists of a 

 flower only, without leaf or stem, and of the extra- 

 ordinary diameter of three feet, he perceived a swarm 

 of flies hovering over the nectary, and apparently 

 laying their q£!i<^^ in its substance, mistaking it most 

 probably for carrion, as it smelt like tainted beef|. 

 A similar mistake is committed in our own country, 

 when the common blow-fly {Miisca vomiloria) lays 

 its eggs in the foetid funguses {Phalli, Agarici^ &c.) 

 apparently under the notion that these are genuine 

 carrion §. This may be more particularly observed I 

 on the singular class of plants, stapdias, which are I 

 so common in our hot-houses: whole families of 

 maggots are constantly born to starve in their foetid Ij 

 flowers. 



These are instances of the mistakes of instinct in i 

 circumstances where it depends upon the information 

 of the senses ; and similar mistakes frequently occur 

 where the higher powers of human rationality are 

 deceived by analogous phenomena. The fine nutty 

 flavour of cherry laurel water and of prussic acid 



* Iiitrod. i. p. 340. t Ibid. iii. p. 65 



; R.Brown, Linn. Trans, vol.xiii. ^ Smellie, Thilos.of Nal. Hist. 



