The Life of the Fly 



some time, the whole of the awl bears on the 

 cocoon, feeling all round with its point, grop- 

 ing about; then, suddenly, the boring-needle 

 is released from its sheath, which falls back 

 along the body, while the needle strives to 

 make its entrance. The operation is a difficult 

 one. I see the insect make a score of attempts, 

 one after the other, without succeeding in 

 piercing the tough wrapper of the Stelis. 

 Should the instrument not penetrate, it re- 

 treats into its sheath and the insect resumes its 

 scrutiny of the cocoon, sounding it point by 

 point with the tips of its antennae. Then fur- 

 ther thrusts are tried until one succeeds. 



The eggs are little spindles, white and 

 gleaming like ivory, about two-thirds of a 

 millimetre^ in length. They have not the 

 long, curved peduncle of the Leucospis' eggs; 

 they are not suspended from the ceiling of the 

 cocoon like these, but are laid without order 

 around the fostering larva. Lastly, in a sin- 

 gle cell and with a single mother, there is 

 always more than one laying; and the number 

 of eggs varies considerably in each. The Leu- 

 cospis, because of her great size, which rivals 

 that of her victim, the Bee, finds in each cell 



'About one-fortieth of an inch. — Translator's Note. 

 68 



