IOG ROUND THE YEAR 



close and still, as they do on the Insect, they perceived 

 that they were out of the right track, and tried to 

 escape. This might have been predicted, for I had 

 seen them running restlessly to and fro on the woolly 

 Cudweed. If a mere hairy surface would satisfy 

 them, almost all the larvae which fell in with these 

 plants would perish there without an effort. 



" I next tried bringing a live Anthophora to the 

 flower. The Bee, cleared of any parasites which it 

 happened to bear, was held by the wings, and made 

 to touch the flower for a moment, when it was in- 

 variably found to bear Meloe larvae, which clung to its 

 hairs. The larvae climb instantly upon the thorax, 

 and there they remain motionless ; the second stage 

 of their migration is now accomplished. 



"In the same way I tried all the live Insects which 

 I could immediately procure Drone-fly, Blow-fly, 

 Honey-bee and small Butterflies. All were instantly 

 overrun by the Meloe larvae. What is more, no 

 subsequent attempts were made to regain the flower. 

 There were no Beetles at hand, so I did not make 

 trial of them. Newport, working under different 

 conditions, for his larvae were imprisoned in a bottle, 

 while mine were under natural conditions, saw them 

 climb upon a Malachius Beetle, and remain there at 

 rest, from which I conclude that I should have got the 

 same result with Beetles as with Flies (Eristalis, for 

 instance). I have since found a large Beetle, the Rose 

 Beetle, which continually haunts flowers, beset witfr 

 Meloe larvae. When all the Insects I could procure 

 had been tried, I offered them a large black Spider. 

 They climbed upon it without hesitation, reached the 



