196 EYE SPY 
worth recalling in these pages, in the firm belief 
that my young entomological readers will hence- 
forth look more compassionately and tenderly 
upon the poor " high -elbowed grig" who is the 
unfortunate hero of my story. He is familiar to 
us all, that hovering u rattler " above the hot, dusty 
road of August, flying up from nowhere beneath 
our feet in the path, fluttering like a yellow moth, 
and always disappearing before our eyes when he 
alights. He is also known as the " Quaker," from 
his drab suit and bonnet, and his generosity with 
his " molasses " is proverbial from the days of 
the Pilgrim settlers. Who would have believed 
that such a fate as the following lay in store for 
him. 
In previous papers I have indicated some of 
the remarkable pranks which the various ich- 
neumon-flies play with unsuspecting caterpillars. 
The polyphemus, for instance, whose cocoon, filled 
with hopes of a beautiful butterfly existence, yields 
only a swarm of wasps. The caterpillars are help- 
less, and would seem an easy prey to the wily 
fly who lays her eggs upon them ; but even the 
agile -winged " Quaker," and doubtless many of 
his kind yes, and still more agile insects are 
not quick enough to escape a like fate. 
At the time of my discovery I had in prepara- 
tion an article for " Harper's Magazine " entitled 
" Among Our Footprints." I wished to describe 
