1846.] Entomology. 45 



ENTOxMOLOGY— NOVEL PRODUCTIONS. 



BY THO. BARLOW. 



The laws of nature in the insect world, so far as the production 

 of its kind is concerned, are the same as in the vegetable. We 

 are told, by high authority, that in the creation of the world, 

 it was declared that every seed should "bring forth after its kind." 

 Whilst this is the case, there are many apparent departures, 

 which seem at first as a revolution of the laws, and to confound 

 our researches. 



From the aurelia of the butterfly, I have seen hundreds of 

 small flies spring forth; from the pupa of the common apple-tree 

 caterpillar, in the cocoon, I have known a number of the common 

 horse flies to come; from the pupse of several kinds of moths, I 

 have seen various kinds of the ichneumon fly come forth; out of 

 all these, when regularly formed, the perfect insects, as indicated 

 by the various aurelias, pupse, &c., were expected. These depar- 

 tures arise from the fact, that the parents of the various flies pene- 

 trate the walls of the pupse with their ovipositors and deposit 

 their eggs, which hatch out, destroy the butterfly or moth, live 

 upon it until perfected, burst the walls of their cell, and come 

 forth. 



I have a variety of such specimens among ray collections, which 

 for their novelty are very interesting. But I have one specimen, 

 for the production of which, I cannot account; neither can I find 

 it spoken of by any naturalist. It is a worm, in size and appear- 

 ance very much like what is commonly called the hair snake, and 

 between four and five inches in length. It is rather larger than 

 the hair snake, and of a yellowish flesh color. It was produced 

 by the house cricket (achata domestica). 



I saw the cricket in my path, and being unusually large, I con- 

 cluded to preserve it; and after having it in my hand a moment, 

 it ejected the worm. Being surprised by the singular production, 

 I cast them both upon the hot earth (it being about noon of a 



