10 CURIOSITIES OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



differently formed, while their size and colour are nearly 

 identical with those f)f the bees; the antenna", instead of 

 being horny and robust, like those of the bee, are delicately 

 slender and feathered, like some kinds of moths ; but these, 

 not being conspicuous appendages, escape the attention of 

 the ordinary observer. The thorax is, however, furred with 

 orange hairs next to the head, which become yellow near to 

 the abdomen, leaving the centre of the thorax black ; the 

 segments of the abdomen nearest the thorax ai'e clothed with 

 yellow fur ; the central segments are black, and the last 

 segments, or tail, are white. This is precisely the colouring 

 of both the bees shown in Figs. 1 and 2 ; but then the single 

 pair of wings shows the trained observer that it belongs to 

 another and distinct order of insects, the Diptera, or two- 

 winged order. The legs, also, have not the enlarged or 

 honey-bearing tibia^, and even the anatomical structure of the 

 body itself, though disguised by the fur clothing of the iden- 

 tical colour of that of the two bees, is of itself ampl}' sufficient 

 to show that the insect belongs to another and vei-y distinct 

 class. 



" Still," says Mr. Noel Huuii)lireys, " the close general 

 resemblance of this insect, VolnceUa plinnata, is indisputable, 

 and as it ])asses into the nest of the bee, in order to dej)osit 

 its eggs (one to each) on many of the living Inrva? of the bees, 

 it might certainly, to a casual observei', pass for one of the 

 family, while entering the bees' nest on its mission of mui-der 

 to the infant bees in their cell-cradles. The etra" of this 

 parasite being deposited in the w'arm folds of the soft skin of 

 the bee-larva is rapidly hatched, and it at once proceeds to 

 its unnatural feast, slowly devouring the foster parent whose 

 breast had warmed it into life ; the bee larva being a soft, 

 legless grub, with no powers of esca])e, very closely resembling 

 that of the humble-bee, and indeed of the hive-bee also. The 

 larva of the \'olucL'ila, with its broad tail, armed witli sliai-j) 

 spines, and its nnisculnr body ta])ering to the head, and fur- 

 nished with rigid serrations ahuig each side, forms a striking 

 contrast to the soft, helpless larva of the bee. Like all the 

 larva' of the Siirpli'uhc, to wliicli the genus VolnceUa belongs. 



