FRANCIS WILLUGHBY. 89 



that covers the cells before the change ? For here 

 the old bee, when she hath provision enough, 

 with an egg closes up the cartrage, and hath no 

 more to do; the maggot, a great while after, making 

 the theca, which is analogous to the cover of the 

 cells." 



There is another letter, relating to the subject 

 of Mr Willughby's, dated July 10, 1671. 



Among many other of his communications to 

 the Philosophical Transactions concerning insects, 

 there is one dated August 24, 1671, which 

 deserves insertion. 



The title of it is, " Concerning the Ichneumon 

 Wasps, and their several changes, ways of breed- 

 ing, especially that of laying their eggs in the 

 body of caterpillars." The inquiries which it 

 describes were suggested by the opinion of Mr 

 Lister, that the ichneumon wasps so deposited 

 their eggs. 



" These insects have four wings, antennae like 

 bees, their body hanging to their breast by a very 

 slender ligament, as in wasps ; most, if not all, 

 have stings, and come from a maggot which spins 

 herself a theca before she turns into a nympha. 

 There is a great variety of them. Some breed 

 as bees do, laying an egg which produceth a 

 maggot, which they feed till it comes to full 

 growth ; and others, as we guess, thrust in their 

 eggs into plants, the bodies of living caterpillars, 

 maggots, &c. 



" For it is very surprising to observe, that a 

 great caterpillar, instead of being changed into a 



