450 The Natural History of Se I borne 



EPHEMERA CAUDA BISETA. MAY-FLY. 



JUNE 10, 1771. Myriads of May-flies appear for the first 

 time on the Alresford stream. The air was crowded with 

 them, and the surface of the water covered. Large trouts 

 sucked them in as they lay struggling on the surface of the 

 stream, unable to rise till their wings were dried. 



This appearance reconciled me in some measure to the 

 wonderful account that Scopoli gives of the quantities emerg- 

 ing from the rivers of Carniola. Their motions are very 

 peculiar, up and down for many yards almost in a perpen- 

 dicular line. WHITE. 



I once saw a swarm of these insects playing up and down 

 over the surface of a pond in Denn Park, exactly in the 

 manner described by this accurate naturalist. It was late in 

 the evening of a warm summer's day when I observed them. 

 MARKWICK. 



SPHYNX OCELLATA. 



A VAST insect appears after it is dusk, flying with a humming 

 noise, and inserting its tongue into the bloom of the honey- 

 suckle ; it scarcely settles upon the plants, but feeds on the 

 wing in the manner of humming-birds. WHITE. 



I have frequently seen the large bee moth, Sphinx stellatarutn, 

 inserting its long tongue or proboscis into the centre of 

 flowers, and feeding on their nectar, without settling on them, 

 but keeping constantly on the wing. MARKWICK. 



WILD BEE. 



THERE is a sort of wild bee frequenting the garden campion 

 for the sake of its tomentum, which probably it turns to some 

 purpose in the business of nidification. It is very pleasant 

 to see with what address it strips off the pubes, running from 



