OF HARTING. 435 



met with an entomological rarity, but, to our disap- 

 pointment, we had simply captured an Empis or an 

 Asilus with another insect nearly or quite as large as 

 itself in its grasp a beetle, a moth, or a fly on which 

 it was making its repast. It is recorded, on high 

 authority, that Asilus Crabroniformis, which is a 

 very conspicuous fly and one of the largest of the 

 order, has been seen to pounce upon and carry off a 

 hive bee, but whether a stingless drone or a neuter 

 " deponent saith not." 



Bee flies and Drone flies are very interesting in all 

 their stages, the perfect insects are generally brilliantly 

 coloured, wonderfully active on the wing, and they 

 may often be seen in the bright sunshine stationary in 

 mid air as if suspended by an invisible thread, their 

 wings vibrating at the same time so rapidly that they 

 are imperceptible. From this circumstance they are 

 popularly known as " Hoverer flies," and if they are 

 disturbed in their diversions, they vanish into space in 

 a twinkling, to return again and again to the same spot. 

 Sometimes they "hover" in this way above the flowers 

 on the nectar of which they subsist, and they alight 

 so gently and gradually, that the only indication of 

 their coming into actual contact with the flower of 

 their choice, is the sudden starting into sight of their 

 wings when they have ceased to vibrate. 



SyrpJius Pyrastri, one of the family, is the parent 

 of those curious larvae so commonly seen on the leaves 

 of plants that are infested with the Aphis. Strange 

 to say these larvae are totally destitute of both feet 

 and eyes, yet they are carnivorous in their habits 

 during the whole period of their growth, and capture 

 their living prey without difficulty. To ensure this 

 result the Syrphus deposits her eggs singly in the 

 midst of the Aphides where they are most numerous, 

 and the young grubs, when hatched, need only elon- 

 gate their bodies from their point of attachment, to 

 explore the space around them in every direction and 



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