Change of Diet 



Is very different. On the faith of Indistin- 

 guishable remains, we must no doubt enter 

 a number of other Flies in her game-book. 

 The Golden-mouthed Hornet (Crabro 

 chrysostomus, LEP.) another burrower in 

 old willow-trees, prefers the Syrphi,^ with- 

 out distinction of species. The Wandering 

 Solenius ^ {S. vagus, LEP.), an inmate of 

 the dry bramble-stems and of the dwarf- 

 elder, lays under contribution for her larder 

 the genera Syritta, Spharophoria, Sarco- 

 phaga, Syrphus, Melanophora, Paragus and 

 apparently many others. The species which 

 recurs most frequently in my notes is Syritta 

 pipiens. 



Without pursuing this tedious list any far- 

 ther, we plainly perceive the general result. 

 Each huntress has her characteristic tastes, 

 so much so that, when we know the bill of 

 fare, we can tell the genus and very often 

 the species of the guest, thus proving the 

 proud truth of the maxim, " Tell me what 

 you eat and I will tell you what you are." 



There are some which always need the 

 same prey. The offspring of the Langue- 



1 The Syrphi, like the Eristales, resemble Bees through 

 having the abdomen transversely banded with yellow. — 

 Translator's Note. 



2 For this Fly-hunting insect cf. Bramble-bees and 

 Others: chaps, i. and iii. — Translator's Note. 



175 



