?>()2 INSECTS AT HOME. 



Bimilar fashion. The cocoons are not easily seen as long as the 

 leaves are on the trees, but if a whitethorn hedge be carefully 

 examined in the winter, the cocoons of the Trichiosoma will 

 probably be found in tolerable plenty. The twig on which 

 they are fixed should be cut off, and the cocoons placed in a box 

 with a cover of wire gauze in order to await the appearance of 

 the perfect insect, which takes place in the spring. At that 

 time of year, the fly is not at all uncommon, and may be cap- 

 tured with the net as it flits about the hedges, seeking for con- 

 venient spots wherein to deposit its eggs. 



I well remember taking some of these Saw-flies when begin- 

 ning my entomological career, and, not having access to books, 

 being entirely puzzled by them. At first, I naturally took 

 them for bees, but could not understand how the knobbed 

 antennae could belong to a bee. Then, the creatures, though 

 they were females, had no sting, and as I was not then aware 

 that Saw-flies of such magnitude existed in this country, I was 

 naturally puzzled. Yet, the very fact of this bewilderment 

 served to fix the creatures so firmly in my mind that, even at 

 this distance of time, I could draw from memory the first 

 Trichiosoma that I ever caught. The saws of this insect are 

 well worthy of examination, as they possess the cone-tipped 

 teeth which have been described on page 298. 



The larvae can be taken at the end of summer, when they 

 are nearly full-fed, and as they are very large and conspicuous, 

 there is little difficulty in obtaining them. 



On "Woodcut XXIX. Fig. 1, is seen a figure of the Eose 

 Saw-fly, called scientifically Hylotoma rosce. The name Hylo- 

 toma is formed from two Greek words, signifying ' Wood- 

 cutter,' and is therefore a very appropriate one. 



In this genus the marginal cell is drawn out to a point, and 

 the shape of the antennae differs in the two sexes. Those of 

 the male are nearly straight and hairy, while those of the 

 female are smooth and tend to a club towards the ends. The 

 antenna of the male is shown on Woodcut XXIX. Fig. d. 



This is a much smaller insect than those which have been 

 described, as may be seen by the cross-mark immediately below 

 it. The colour of the thorax is black, and that of the abdomen 

 bright yellow, with an orange tinge during life. The upper 



