June 103 



is so like a small humble bee that most people 

 would take it to be one. 



This fly seems quite as intent upon studying 

 me as I am to learn about it ; it poises in the 

 air for a minute or two, staring at me, humming 

 loudly and watching my every movement. It is 

 quite curious to observe how stationary in the air 

 the creature remains, its wings quivering with such 

 exceeding rapidity that they are quite invisible, 

 so that one is puzzled to imagine how the insect 

 is supported in the air. Thus it will remain until 

 I make some slight 

 movement, when in- 

 stantly the fly is gone, 

 and my eye cannot 

 trace its flight. 



One day I desired to 



make a drawing of a 



Syrphus, and I shall not Natural 



soon forget what an ** [ THE HOVERER-FLY. 



exercise of patience it 



was to capture it. I did succeed at last by a quick 



sweep of a gauze net, and my captive was detained 



for a while until I had taken its portrait, it had not 



the patient gentleness of the humble-bee fly, but 



continued to buzz and fuss in an angry manner 



until I was able to set it at liberty. 



ICHNEUMON FLIES 



If we observe creeping up the window panes 

 or hovering over the flower beds some curious- 

 looking flies, with very slender bodies and antennae 



