124 



Marvels of Insect Life* 



stage it retains the general form 

 of the larva, but has the legs and 

 eyes of the perfect Insect, together 

 with wing-pads, of course ; and in 

 the case of the female there is also 

 the long egg-placer already de- 

 veloped, but now laid along the 

 back. The retention of the larval 

 jaws in this stage is remarkable, 

 and appears to indicate that 

 formerly the Insect made a cocoon 

 from which its escape was effected 

 by the use of these cutting-jaws, 

 as is the case with its relative the 

 ant-lion. A short time before it 

 changes into the snake-fly the 

 chrysalis regains the use of its legs, 

 and runs about, 

 are three other native species, but the differences between them 

 triking, and are more likely to appeal to the specialist than to 

 other species are known from different parts of the northern 

 hemisphere, but their life-history is not known ; probably it agrees in the 

 main with what has been stated of our native forms. The snake-flies are 

 not related to the true flies — those with two wings only, such as our house- 

 flies. It win be seen at a glance on comparing their photographs that 

 the wing structure and the network of " nerves ' 

 to say nothing of the more important evidence 

 history of the two groups. The snake-flies belong 

 winged Insects, ^ which includes the ant-lions and lace-wings. 



'Photoby] [H. Ilastni. 



The Snake-Fly. 



The remarkable feature of this Insect is the long, neck-like prolongation of 

 the body and the shape of the head, which give the foreparts a miniature 

 resemblance to a snake. The photograph is two and a half times larger than 

 life-size. 



There 

 are not very 

 others. Many 



is altogether different, 

 afforded by the early 

 to the order of nerve- 



Pholos by] 



[W. ./. Lhci 



Early Stages of the Snake-Fly. 



The left-hand figure shows the grub of the common snake-flv, and on the 

 right is the chrysalis of a smaller species, the spotted-necked snaki--lly ; the 

 first enlarged three times, and the second four times. 



europtera. 



The Pasha with Two Tails. 



One of the most striking of 

 European butterflies is a neai 

 relation to our purple emperor, 

 but the people of Southern France 

 call it the pasha with two tails. - 

 They might with more fltness call 

 it the pasha with four tails, for the 

 hind-wings have each two tails, and 

 two and two make four. However, 

 it is something to have a common 

 name of any sort, and one must 

 not be too critical of such names 

 when they do exist. 



The pasha is the only European 



- Chara.xes jasius. 



F.E.S. 



