498 THB BEE-KEEPKR'S GUIDE; 



live and feed Upon other animals. The larvae are peculiar in 

 breathing by gills in the rectum. The same water that bathes 

 these organs and furnishes oxygen, is sent out in a jet, and 

 thus sends the insect darting along. The larvae also possess 

 enormous jaws, which formidable weapons are masked till it 

 is desired to use them, when the dipper-shaped mask is dropped 

 or unhinged, and the terrible jaws open and close upon the 

 unsuspecting victim, which has but a brief time to bewail its 

 temerity. 



A writer from Georgia, in Gleanings in Bee-Culture, Vol. 

 IV, page 35, states that these destroyers are easily scared 

 away, or brought down by boys with whips, who soon become 

 as expert in capturing the insects as are the latter in seizing 



Fig. 286. 



Tachina-Fly . — Original. 



the bees. One of the largest and most beautiful of these (Fig. 

 285) is Anax Junius. It has a wide range in the United States 

 (North and South), and everywhere preys upon the honey-bee. 



TACHINA-FLY. 



From descriptions which I have received, I feel certain 

 that there is a two-winged fly, probably of the genus Tachina 

 (Fig. 286), that works on bees. I have never seen these, 

 though I have repeatedly requested those who have to send 

 them to me. My friend, J. L. Davis, put some sick-looking 

 bees into a cage and hatched the flies, which, he told me, 

 looked not unlike a small house-fly. It is the habit of these 

 flies, which are closely related to our house-flies, which they 

 much resemble, to lay their eggs on other insects. Their 

 young, upon hatching, burrow into the insect that is being 

 victimized, and grow by eating it. It would be difl&cult to cope 



