A Parasite of the Maggot 



who thus escapes the tribute due to the con- 

 sumer of plump sausages. But, in the fields, 

 where she readily lays her eggs upon any car- 

 cass that she finds, she, as well as the others, 

 sees her vermin swept away by the gluttonous 

 Saprinus. 



In addition, graver disasters decimate her 

 family, if, as I do not doubt, we can apply 

 to the Bluebottle what I have seen happen 

 in the case of her rival, the Flesh-fly. So far, 

 I have had no opportunity of actually perceiv- 

 ing with the first what I have to tell of the 

 second; still, I do not hesitate to repeat about 

 the one what observation has taught me about 

 the other, for the larval analogies between 

 the two Flies are very close. 



Here are the facts. I have gathered a 

 number of pupae of the Flesh-fly in one of 

 my vermin-jars. Wishing to examine the 

 pupa's hinder-end, which is hollowed into a 

 cup and scalloped into a coronet, I stave in 

 one of the little barrels and force open the 

 last segments with the point of my pocket- 

 knife. The horny keg does not contain what 

 I expected to find: it is full of tiny grubs 

 packed one atop the other with the same 

 economy of space as anchovies in a bottle. 

 Save for the skin, which has hardened into a 

 365 



