MELITTA. (**. c.) iQg 



intrkaria, Lin. and found them exactly the same; 

 that he put a large fly or two amongst them^ to 

 which they attached themselves with the greatest 

 avidity. Similar animals are mentioned to be hatch- 

 ed from these eggs both by Frisch and Goedart. 

 Here seems to be an accumulation of evidence in 

 confirmation of this extraordinary fact ; and yet^ 

 to use DeGeer's words, " Qui se seroit jamais im- 

 agine, qu'on trouveroit les petits ou les larves des 

 Cantharides de cette espece sur le corps des Mou- 

 ches ? Jamais on ne se seroit avise de les y cher- 

 cher(«)." Nothing seems more improbable than that 

 a bee or a fly should afford nutriment to the larva 

 of so large an animal as Meloe Proscar ah ceus, and 

 that it should feed in the same manner as an Acarus 

 or Pediculus. Its dimensions, one would think, if 

 it was only a larva, would be found different in dif- 

 ferent individuals, according to their age; but this 

 is not the case, for the animal in question varies 

 scarcely at all in size. Can we suppose, that when 

 it has attained to a certain size, it quits this kind of 

 food for some other ? All circumstances consider- 

 ed, I cannot help suspecting that there is some 

 illusion in the case, which perhaps future observa- 

 tion will clear up. 



108. M. atra, fulvo-villosa ; thorace ferruglneo ; ^^e/ie/- 

 abdomine subcordato, fasciis tribus, inter- ^"* 

 ruptis, pallidis. 



{ii) De Geer. torn. 5. p. 12. 



M 4 MUS. 



