i'i-:i-:i)i\(, iiAr.iTs oi- \ i. xdnhikd i..\k\ a. 303 



jiroreecN. wirhout coriMuoiiv, and in spite of the xiyDrous protests 

 of his victim, to devour it. ealiii,s>" down tlirouii^h tlie back of the 

 livinq insect. He is a ravenous savat^e. caring for nothinc;, 

 apparently, hut to rtll himself up as (|uickl\' as ])ossil)le. Xot so. 

 liowever. the lar\ a ; he has a capacity for lenothenins^ out the 

 enjo\iiieni of a meal which niij^ht have excited the envy of a 

 Roman iLrhitton. and linj^ers over each aphis as though it v/ere 

 tin only one he was ever likely to ca]>tnre. 



I'he larwi's method of takin^^^ a meal is exceedini^ly cuiaons, 

 and I was a.t first doubt ftd whether 1 had c(jrrcctl\- interi)reted 

 its actions. ( )l)servation tuider a microscope served, liowever, 

 oTd\- to confirm m\ lirst impressions. As the mode o- i)rocedure 

 varie- but little. I do not think I can do belter than describe 

 an actual encounter which 1 witnessed between a medium-sized 

 larva and a lar?e ajihis. 



The larva seized hi< \ictim at tlie lower extr<'mitv of the 

 tibia of the middle lesj. 'Hie tibia. T mav remark, is the usual 

 iioint of attack. Inn the exact s])ot appears to depend on the 

 jiosition of the ley when the larva conies into contact with it 

 rather than on deliberate selecti(!n. At fir^t the ai)his stnig-.ii^led 

 viirorouslw and ihe lar\a ke])t shifting' his front feet as though 

 to secure a tirmer footing, while with his hind legs he made a 

 series of rapid spasmodic forward lunges. ap]>arentlv intended 

 to intimidate his victim or to warn off jjossible intruders. This 

 latter movement is almost invariabh- executed during the first 

 few minutes after he has seized his ])rey. and is ouite distinct 

 from tliat required for securing a better foothold with which 

 he sometimes varies the ])roceeding"s. The jerking motion thus 

 imparted to the woolh' tufts on the anterior segments of the 

 bod\- gives the little creature a ludicrous resemblance to an 

 excited ])orcu])iiie. 



After ten minutes the struggles of the aphis had moderated 

 somewhat, and a tinge of green appeared in the tibia aiifl femttr 

 of the leg held by the larva. The mo\-ements of the a])his now 

 became less violent, as though the injected tiuid had a narcotic 

 efTect. Three minutes hiter the green tiuid moved back towards 

 the larva. Thereafter a steady l^ow of li(|uid was maintained, 

 alternateh from and to the kirva. the amount circulated in- 

 creasing until the ai)liis was alternately drained to traiislucencv 

 and filled out almost to bursting, in a manner stronglv suggestive 

 of the inflation and deflation 0I a kid glove by a child. .At each 

 successive injection the fluid was j^erceptibly darker, containing 

 ,-i larger ])r(,])ortion of the larva's digestive juices; and during 

 the later stages the distended body of the aphis a])peared almost 

 black. The larva sucked the aphis dry. and then regurgitated 

 his meal, continuing to repeat the ])rocess until, appareiitlv, 

 nothing further was to \k- gained, wlien be drained the aphis 

 for the last time, elevated the skin above his head as though 

 to make sure of getting the very last drop, tumbled it to one 



