ICERYA PURCHASI. 95 



the eggs and young buglets sheltered within. Having at 

 last pulled away enough to expose the residents, he 

 seized on them one by one, and, after sucking all vitality 

 out, flung away the empty skin." 



For further observation ten or twelve of these "Aphis 

 Lions " were placed with six gravid female " Bugs," one 

 of which was opened by a cut across the white waxy 

 egg-nest, thus exposing the eggs and young within, which 

 were reckoned by Mr. Bairstow as amounting to as many 

 as five hundred, if all hatched. At the end of the first 

 day the whole collection in the opened female had been 

 destroyed by the voracious little Aphis Lions ; they then 

 attacked the other female Bugs, and at the end of five 

 days scarcely a bugling survived. 



The observer further remarks that he has noticed 

 " SCORES of times " that well-developed females which he 

 saw on a branch on one afternoon would next morning 

 show only as broken egg-bags, empty and torn to shreds, 

 and, as they could not have all hatched and got away, it 

 appeared plain there was something at work "struggling 

 to assist in keeping a proper balance, and this, after 

 search, was found in the shape of a Hemerobius grub, a 

 small larva with big jaws, demolishing Dortkesia in 

 scores." 



Mr. Bairstow remarks that the voracious larva is 

 much assisted in catching its prey by the structure 

 which enables it to use its long jaws in various direc- 

 tions, and thus grasp the eggs as well as capture the 

 young bugs ; also that it is readily detected in its native 

 haunts, either as a grub or pupa, by the powdery mass 

 of covering which it assumes, and which when pilfered 

 from the bug gives it a completely snow-flake appearance ; 

 or when at rest it might be passed over as a small mass 

 of spider's web. 



The precise description of the egg has not been given, 

 but it is the nature of the Hemerolnidte, to which family 

 this Golden Eye belongs, for the female to discharge a 

 small quantity of sticky matter in the process of laying 

 each egg. This draws out in the operation into a long 



