280 MOTIONS OF INSECTS. 



rizontal, inclined, or even vertical^. But the greatest 

 number of legs of this kind that distinguish any known 

 larva, is to be observed in that of a two-winged fly 

 {SccEva Pi/raslri, F.) that devours the Aphides of the 

 rose. This animal has six rows of tubercular feet, with 

 which it moves, each row consisting of seven, making 

 in all forty-two''. — The gnib of the weevil of the dock 

 ( Curculio Humicis, L.) has twenty-four tubercular legs ; 

 but, what is remarkable, the six anterior ones, being 

 longer than the rest, seem to represent the real legs, 

 while the others represent the spurious ones, of lepi- 

 dopterous larvae. These legs, however, are all fleshy 

 tubercles, and have no claws, the place of which is 

 supplied by slime which covers all the underside of the 

 body, and hinders the animal from falling*^. Another 

 weevil {Lixus paraplecticus, F.) produces a grub inha- 

 biting the Avater-hemlock, which has only six tubercles 

 that occupy the place and are representatives of the 

 legs of the perfect insect*^. 



Some larvas have these tubercles armed with claws. 

 The maggot of a fly described by De Geer under the 

 name of J\Iusca pltnnata, but which Linne makes a va- 

 riety of Sj/rphtis )}7i/staceus, F., has six pair of them, 

 each of which has three long claws. This animal has 

 a radiated anus, and seems related to those flies that 

 live in the nests of humble-bees*'. 



Insects in the peculiarities of their structure, as we 

 have seen in many instances, sometimes realize the 

 wildest Actions of the imagination. Should a traveller 

 tell you that he had seen a quadruped whose legs were 



" DeGeer, i. 447— . ^ xxxi. /. 17. " Ibid. vi. III. 



" Ibid. V. 233. " Ibid. 228. *= Ibid. vi. 137. /. viii. /. 8, 9. 



