196 EYE SPY 



worth recalling in these pages, in the firm belief 

 that my young entomological readers will hence- 

 forth look more compassionately and tenderly 

 upon the poor " high -elbowed grig" who is the 

 unfortunate hero of my story. He is familiar to 

 us all, that hovering " rattler " above the hot, dusty 

 road of August, flying up from nowhere beneath 

 our feet in the path, fluttering like a yellow moth, 

 and always disappearing before our eyes when he 

 alights. He is also known as the " Quaker," from 

 his drab suit and bonnet, and his generosity with 

 his " molasses " is proverbial from the days of 

 the Pilgrim settlers. Who would have believed 

 that such a fate as the following lay in store for 

 him. 



In previous papers I have indicated some of 

 the remarkable pranks which the various ich- 

 neumon-flies play with unsuspecting caterpillars. 

 The polyphemus, for instance, whose cocoon, filled 

 with hopes of a beautiful butterfly existence, yields 

 only a swarm of wasps. The caterpillars are help- 

 less, and would seem an easy prey to the wily 

 fly who lays her eggs upon them ; but even the 

 agile -winged " Quaker," and doubtless many of 

 his kind yes, and still more agile insects are 

 not quick enough to escape a like fate. 



At the time of my discovery I had in prepara- 

 tion an article for " Harper's Magazine " entitled 

 " Among Our Footprints." I wished to describe 



