80 HISTORY OF 



ceived it every now and then dart a sting, which 

 it carried at the end of its tail, into the caterpil- 

 lar's body, and then drew it out again to repeat 

 the same operation in another place. It was not 

 difficult for me to conjecture the business which 

 engaged this animal so earnestly ; its whole aim 

 was to deposit its eggs in the caterpillar's body, 

 which was to serve as a proper retreat for bring- 

 ing them to perfection. The reptile thus rudely 

 treated, seemed to bear all very patiently, only 

 moving a little when stung too deeply ; which, 

 however, the fly seemed entirely to disregard. I 

 took particular care to feed this caterpillar, which 

 seemed to me to continue as voracious and vigo- 

 rous as any of the rest of its kind. In about ten 

 or twelve days it changed into an aurelia, which 

 seemed gradually to decline, and died. Upon ex- 

 amining its internal parts, the animal was entire- 

 ly devoured by worms, which, however, did not 

 come to perfection, as it is probable they had not 

 enough to sustain them within." 



What the French philosopher perceived upon 

 this occasion, is every day to be seen in several 

 of the larger kinds of caterpillars, whose bodies 

 serve as a nest to various flies, that very carefully 

 deposit their eggs within them. The large cab- 

 bage caterpillar is so subject to its injuries, that 

 at certain seasons it is much easier to find them 

 with than without them. The ichneumon fly, as 

 it is called, particularly infests these reptiles, and 

 prevents their fecundity. This fly is of all others 

 the most formidable to insects of various kinds. 

 The spider, that destroys the ant, the moth, and 



