COURAGE OF A LARVA. 97 



another in twenty minutes ; nor did this satisfy 

 him : for in the course of two hours he devoured 

 more than a hundred insects with which I sup- 

 plied him !" These larvae do repose a little, but 

 never for long, for they are seldom without some 

 prey in hand. " I have seen," adds the last author, 

 " twigs of the elder seven or eight inches in length 

 entirely covered with these insects, (the aphides,) 

 and in four days' time there remained not one 

 alive." 



This larva is a rare specimen of courage, as 

 well as of destructive powers ; for when it is quite 

 young it often seizes upon an insect twice as big as 

 itself. It is very amusing to see the unequal con- 

 test between the little but courageous foe, and his 

 great, bulky, and stupid adversary. Immediately 

 the larva thrusts its trident into the body of the 

 enemy, who, stupid as he is, does not like the 

 sensation of the wound in his side, and makes off 

 as fast as he can. The lion-hearted larva follows 

 him up and wrestles with him, and at length ac- 

 tually boards him, to use a sailor's term, clamber- 

 ing up his sides, and, in triumph, piercing him 

 through and slaying him. What is perhaps most 

 singular of all, the larvae of some species of these 



H 



