MEANS OF DEFENCE OF INSECTS. 259 



of the case-worms, liaving enlarged upon in a former 

 letter % I need not describe here. 



Some insects, that they may not be discovered and be- 

 come the prey of their enemies when they are reposing, 

 conceal themselves in flowers. The male of a little bee 

 {Heriades ^ Campanularum\ a true Sybarite, dozes vo- 

 luptuously in the bells of the different species o( Canqja- 

 nula — in which, indeed, I have often found other kinds 

 asleep. Linne named another species Jlorisomnis on 

 account of a similar propensity. A third, a most curious 

 and rare species {Andrcyia'^ spimgcra), shelters itself 

 when sleeping, at least I once found it there so ciixum- 

 stanced, in the nest-like umbel of the wild carrot. You 

 would think it a most extraordinary freak of Nature, 

 should any quadruped sleep suspended by its jaws, (some 

 birds however are said, I think, to have such a habit, and 

 Stis Babyroussa one something like it,) — yet insects do 

 this occasionlly. Linne informs us that a little bee {Epeo- 

 lus "^ varicgatus) passes the night thus suspended to the 

 beak of the flowers of Gci'anium pJiccum : and I once 

 found one of the vespiform bees {Nomada^ Goodeniana) 

 hanging by its mandibles from the edge of a hazel-leaf, 

 apparently asleep, with its limbs relaxed and folded. 

 On being disengaged from its situation it became per- 

 fectly lively. 



There is no period of their existence in which insects 

 usually are less able to help themselves, than during that 

 intermediate state of repose which precedes their coming 

 forth in their perfect forms. I formerly explained to you 



' Vol.. I. 457— G7. " Apls.'^*. c. 2. y. K. 



' Melitta. * *. c. K. "^ Apis, * •. b. K. 



ApU. . b, * K. 



s 2 



