A HONEY-DEW PICNIC I 55 



Carefully stealing through the tall grass, I now 

 approached to within touching distance of the 

 haunt, and was soon lost in mingled wonder, 

 amusement, and surprise at the picnic now dis- 

 closed, the occasional butterfly swarm being now 

 easily explained. From my first point of view 

 only the top of the bramble spray was visible 

 above the grass, and by far the most interesting 

 portion of the exercises had been concealed from 

 view. The butterflies, while naturally the most 

 conspicuous element, were now seen to be in a 

 small minority among the insect gathering, the 

 bramble leaves being peopled with a most motley 

 and democratic assemblage of insects. Class dis- 

 tinctions were apparently forgotten in the com- 

 mon enthusiasm ; the plebeian bluebottle and 

 blowfly now consorted with Aphrodite and sipped 

 at the same drop. Many a leaf was begemmed 

 with the blue bodies closely set side by side or 

 in a close cluster. The meat-fly, house-fly, and 

 horse-fly made themselves promiscuous in every 

 portion of the spray, and what with the rainbow- 

 eyed and ruby-eyed flies, black and silver-banded 

 flower -flies, and other tiny, restless, iridescent 

 atoms of the fly fraternity, the family of Musca 

 was well represented at the feast. ; 



Nor were these all the guests at the banquet — 



