June 



109 



me as being rather rare, so I placed it in a glass 

 globe, in order that I might become more intimately 

 acquainted with its habits and manners. 



After some little searching amongst my books 

 I found that I had captured a snake-fly, a most 

 appropriate name for a creature with a long slender 

 neck and a flattened, vicious-looking head, which at 

 once suggests the idea of a viper. 



This fly is a highly sensitive little creature, it is 



SNAKE-FLY AND LARVA 

 (Snake-fly, Jive times not. size. Larva, six times not. size). 



on the alert the moment it sees or hears anything 

 unusual, lifting up its little serpentine head, and 

 glancing from side to side with much intelligence ; 

 full of courage, also, for it will try to seize a small twig 

 or anything held near it. Although its natural food 

 consists of small insects, I find the snake-fly will 

 eagerly accept little morsels of raw meat, upon which 

 it fastens its powerful mandibles, and with a lens I 

 can watch it evidently enjoying a hearty meal. 

 Almost all flies are fond of sugar and honey, 



