BEES AND THEIR ENEMIES. 113 



branches, break forth, and move itself briskly from side 

 to side. It looked like a little imp of darkness just 

 emerging from the infernal regions. I was impatient to 

 become better acquainted with so singular a creature. 

 When it was completely disengaged, and I had secured 

 it from making its escape, I set myself to examine it as 

 carefully as possible ; and I found, after a careful inquiry, 

 that I had not only got a nondescript, but also an insect 

 of a new genus whose very class seemed dubious." 



As everything connected with so strange a creature 

 is very attractive, I will cite what other observers also 

 have seen. Mr. Dale, from whom Curtis received Elen- 

 chus to figure in his ' British Entomology/ vol. v. pi. 

 226, says: " These parasites look milk-white on the wing, 

 with a jet-black body, and are totally unlike anything else. 

 It flew with an undulating or vacillating motion amongst 

 the young shoots of a quickset hedge, and I could not 

 catch it until it settled upon one, when it ran up and 

 down, its wings in motion, and making a considerable 

 buzz or hum, as loud as a Sesia ; it twisted about its 

 rather long tail, and turned it up like a Staphylinus. I 

 put it under a glass and placed it in the sun ; it became 

 quite furious in its confinement, and never ceased run- 

 ning about for two hours. The elytra or processes were 

 kept in quick vibration, as well as the wings ; it buzzed 

 against the sides of the glass with its head touching it, 

 and tumbling about on its back. By putting two bees 

 (Andrena labialis) under a glass in the sun, two Stylops 

 were produced : the bees seemed uneasy, and went up 

 towards them, but evidently with caution, as if to fight ; 

 and moving their antennae towards them, retreated. I 

 once thought the bee attempted to seize it; but the 

 oddest thing was to see the Slylops get on the body of 



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