The Life of the Fly 



fore, that their destruction crumb by crumb is 

 merciful. 



Towards the end of August, the parasite of 

 the Flesh-fly's grubs makes her appearance out 

 of doors in the adult form. She is a Chal- 

 cidid, as I expected. She issues from the bar- 

 rel through one or two little round holes 

 which the prisoners have pierced with a patient 

 tooth. I count some thirty to each pupa. 

 There would not be enough room in the abode 

 if the family were larger. 



The imp is a slim and elegant creature, but 

 oh, how small ! She measures hardly two mil- 

 limetres.^ Her garb is bronzed-black, with 

 pale legs and a heart-shaped, pointed, slightly 

 pedunculate abdomen, with never a trace of a 

 probe for inoculating the eggs. The head is 

 transversal, the width exceeding the length. 



The male is only half the size of the 

 female; he is also very much less numerous. 

 Perhaps pairing is here, as we see elsewhere, a 

 secondary matter from which it is possible 

 to abstain, in part, without injuring the pro- 

 spects of the race. Nevertheless, in the tube 

 wherein I have housed the swarm, the few 

 males lost among the crowd ardently woo the 

 passing fair. There is much to be done out- 



* ,078 inch. — Translator's Note. 

 368 



