64 



Marvels of Insect Life. 



Insects that feed upon roots and others that only hide therein bv day, ascend- 

 ing at night to feed upon green crops. The brilhant httle ladybirds are more 

 obviously useful, as they pursue their destruction of the green-fly on the leaves and 

 stems of our roses and other plants. Beetles of all kinds constitute the order of 

 Insects known to science as the rolcoptera, or 



>hcath-\vinged Insects. 



Photn by] 



A THREE-HORXED BeETLE. 



[£■. Step. F.L.S. 



This homed beetle is shown four times the natural dimensions to show the structure of the fore-parts, including the powerful fore-feet, 

 the shovel-shaped head, and the massive horns. Many beetles, especially the males, are so adorned, but their use (apart from 

 ornament) is seldom evident. 



The Hump-backed Spider-Fly. 



It is quite in accord with what has been named " poetical justice " that, as vast 

 numbers of spiders get their living entirely by sucking the life-juices of flies, there 

 should be at least some flies that exist at the expense of spiders. The small and 

 peculiar flies of the genus Ogcodes come under this designation ; indeed, a larger 

 group, the family ^ containing this genus and other genera, appears to have similar 

 habits. The fly ^ whose portrait we present may be taken as a representative of 

 the family. It occurs in this country, but is little known, and its principal locality 

 is the New Forest. It is about the size of the smaller house-fly, but the head is 

 remarkably small and consists almost entirely of the two compound eyes. The 

 great disproportion between the tiny head and the high, rounded body gives 

 one the impression that the latter would be normally much smaller, but that it 



' Acrocciicla'. 2 Ogcodes gibhosus. 



