26 



of $atttral 



Entomology," that we cannot refrain from 

 indulging in a quotation, the length of which, 

 we trust, its pertinence may well excuse. 

 " In the course of its labours it frequently 

 I meets with small stones : these it places upon 



I its head, one by one, and jerks over the mar- 

 gin of the pit. But sometimes, when near 

 the bottom, a pebble presents itself of a size 

 so large that this process is impossible, its 

 head not being sufficiently broad and strong 

 to bear so great a weight, and the height 

 being too considerable to admit of projecting 

 so large a body to the top. A more impa- 

 tient labourer would despair ; but not so our 

 insect. A new plan is adopted. By a ma- 

 noeuvre, not easily described, it lifts the stone 

 upon its back, keeps it in a steady position 

 by an alternate motion of the segments which 

 compose that part ; and, carefully walking 

 up the ascent with the burthen, deposits it 

 on the outside of the margin. When, as oc- 

 casionally happens, the stone is round, the 

 labour becomes most difficult and painful. 

 A spectator watching the motions of the ant- 

 lion feels an inexpressible interest in its be- 

 half. He sees it with vast exertion elevate 

 the stone, and begin its arduous retrograde 

 ascent : at every moment the burthen totters 

 to one side or the other : the adroit porter 

 lifts up the segments of its back to balance 

 it, and has already nearly reached the top 

 of the pit, when a stumble or a jolt mocks 

 all its efforts, and the stone tumbles headlong 

 to the bottom. Mortified, but not despair- 

 ing, the Ant- Lion returns to the charge ; 

 again replaces the stone on its back ; again 

 ascends the side, and artfully avails himself, 

 for a road, of the channel formed by the 

 falling stone, against the sides of which he 

 can support his load. This time possibly he 

 succeeds ; or it may be, as is often the case, 

 the stone again rolls down. When thus un- 

 fortunate, our little Sisyphus has been seen 

 six times patiently to renew his attempts, 

 and was at last, as such heroic resolution 

 deserved, successful. It is only after a series 

 of trials have demonstrated the impossibility 

 of succeeding, that op engineer yields to 

 fate, and, quitting his half-excavated pit, 

 begins the formation of another. 



" When all obstacles are overcome, and 

 the pit is finished, it presents itself as a coni- 

 cal hole rather more than two inches deep, 

 gradually contracting to a point at the bot- 

 tom, and about three inches wide at the top. 

 The Ant-lion now takes its station at the 

 bottom of the pit, and, that its gruff appear- 

 ance may not scare the passengers which 

 approach its den, covers itself with sand, all 

 except the points of its expanded forceps. 

 It is not long before an ant on its travels, 

 fearing no harm, steps upon the margin of 

 the pit, either accidentally or for the pur- 

 pose of exploring the depth below. Alas ! 

 its curiosity is dearly gratified. The faith- 

 less sand slides from under its feet ; its 

 struggles but hasten its descent ; and it is 

 precipitated headlong into the jaws of the 

 concealed devourer. Sometimes, however, 

 it chances that the ant is able to stop itself 

 midway, and with all haste scrambles up 

 again. No sooner does the Ant-lion per- 

 ceive this (for, being furnished with six eyes 



on each side of his head, he is sufficiently 

 sharp-sighted), than, shaking off his inac- 

 tivity, he hastily shovels loads of sand upon 

 his head, and vigorously throws them up in 

 quick succession upon the escaping insect, 

 which, attacked by such a heavy shower 

 from below, and treading upon so unstable a 

 path, is almost inevitably carried to the bot- 

 tom. The instant his victim is fairly within 

 reach, the Ant-lion seizes him between his 

 jaws, which are admirable instruments, at the 

 same time hooked for holding and grooved 

 on the inner side, so as to form with the ad- 

 joining maxillae, which move up and down 

 in the groove, a tube for sucking, and at his 

 leisure extracting all the juices of the body, 

 regales upon formic acid. The dry carcass 

 he subsequently jerks out of his den, that it 

 may not encumber him in his future con- 

 tests, or betray the ' horrid secrets of his 

 prison-house : ' and if the sides of the pit 

 have received any damage, he leaves his 

 concealment for a while to repair it ; which 

 having done, he resumes his station." 



Such is the mode of life pursued by the 

 larva of the Ant-lion until nearly two years 

 have elapsed, when, being arrived at its full 

 growth, and ready to change into a chrysalis, 

 it envelopes itself in a round ball of sand, 

 agglutinated and connected by very fine silk, 

 which it draws from a tubular process at the 

 extremity of its body. In this silken cocoon 

 it remains about three weeks ; and then 

 bursts forth a four- winged insect, resembling 

 the dragon-fly both in appearance and man- 

 ners. The Myrmeleonformicaleo is not found 

 in England, but occurs in many parts of the 

 Continent, as France, Spain, Germany, &c. 

 [See MYRMELEON.] 



APATURA IRIS, or PURPLE EM- 

 PEROR. Of all our native Lepidoptera, 

 there is no Butterfly that is more justly 

 admired than the Purple Emperor. In its 



PT7RPLB EMPEROR. (APATORA IRIS., 



bold and soaring flight, as it displays its 

 beautiful lines in the effulgence of the meri- 

 dian sun, or as it settles for repose when the 

 shades of evening approach, it still maintains 

 its acknowledged pre-eminence. The gene- 

 ral colour of the wings above is a rich deep 

 brown, changing in the male according to 

 the light, to a lovely purple, or a splendid 

 mazarine blue, and relieved by a triple series 

 of white spots. The posterior wings have a 

 white angular band, placed in continuity 

 with the first series of spots on the anterior 

 wings ; and an ocellus at the anal angle with 

 a narrow tawny iris and black pupil : the 

 under surface of the anterior wings is a fcr- 



