The Life of the Fly 



ceptional interest by its manner of feeding. 

 Let us begin by observing that, deprived of 

 all, even the most rudimentary walking-ap- 

 paratus, the animal is absolutely incapable of 

 shifting its position. If I disturb its rest, it 

 curves and straightens itself in turns by a series 

 of contractions, it tosses about violently where 

 it lies, but does not manage to progress. It 

 fidgets and gets no farther. We shall see later 

 the magnificent problem raised by this inert- 

 ness. 



For the moment, a most unexpected fact 

 claims all our attention. I refer to the ex- 

 treme readiness with which the Anthrax' larva 

 quits and returns to the Chalicodoma-grub on 

 which it is feeding. After witnessing flesh- 

 eating larvae at hundreds and hundreds of 

 meals, I suddenly find myself confronted with 

 a manner of eating that bears no relation to 

 anything which I have seen before. I feel my- 

 self in a world that baffles my old experience. 

 Let us recall the table-manners of a larva liv- 

 ing on prey, the Ammophila's for instance, 

 when devouring its caterpillar. A hole is 

 made in the victim's side; and the head and 

 neck of the nursling dive deep into the 

 wound, to root luxuriously among the entrails. 

 There is never a withdrawal from the gnawed 



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