264 INDIRECT BENEFITS DERIVED FROM INSECTS. 



one species clothe themselves, like Hercules, with the 

 spoils of their hapless victims. 



Next in importance to these come the aphidivorous 

 flies (many species of Si/rphus, F.), whose grubs are 

 armed with a singular mandible, furnished like a tri- 

 dent with three points, with which they transfix their 

 prey. They may often be seen laid at their ease under 

 a leaf or upon a twig, environed by such hosts of Aphi- 

 des, that they can devour hundreds without changing 

 their station ; and their silly helpless prey, who are pro- 

 vided with no means of defence, so far from thinking of 

 escaping, frequently walk over the back of their enemy, 

 and put themselves in his way. When disposed to feed, 

 he fixes himself by his tail, and, being blind, gropes 

 about on every side, as the Cyclops did for Ulysses and 

 his companions, till he touches one, which he immedi- 

 ately transfixes with his trident, elevates into the air, 

 that he may not be disturbed by its struggles, and soon 

 devours. The havoc which these grubs make amongst 

 the Aphides is astonishing. It was but last week that 

 1 observed the top of every young shoot of the currant^ 

 trees in my garden curled up by myriads of these in-- 

 sects. On examining them this day, not an individual 

 remained; but beneath each leaf are three or four full- 

 fed larvae of aphidivorous flies, surrounded with heaps 

 of the skins of the slain, the trophies of their successful 

 M arfare; and the young shoots, whose progress had been 

 entirely checked by the abstraction of sap, are again 

 expanding vigorously. 



But even these serviceable insects must yield the 

 palm to the lady-bird or lady-cow (Coccincl/a, L.), the 

 favourite of our childhood, which, as well as most of 



