310 THE BOMBYLIUS. 



ascertain their separations ; and, to give him addi- 

 tional facility of proceeding through rough places, 

 these are all highly polished, appearing lustrous in 

 the sun, the animal looking like a thick piece of 

 tarnished copper wire. When surprised in his tran- 

 sit from the hedge, contrary to the custom of the 

 snake or viper, which writhe themselves away into 

 the grass in the ditch, he stops, as if fearful of 

 proceeding, or to escape observation by remaining 

 motionless, but if touched he makes some effort to 

 escape : this habit of the poor slow- worm becomes 

 frequently the cause of his destruction. 



Of all the active, vigilant creatures that animate 

 our paths, we have none superior to the little, bee- 

 like bombylius (bombylius medius) ; but this crea- 

 ture is to be seen only in the mornings of a few 

 bright days in spring, seeming to delight in the 

 hot, windy gleams of that season, presenting an 

 emblem of that portion of our year, fugitive 

 and violent. It is, I believe, plentiful nowhere. 

 Particularly solicitous of warmth, it seeks the dry 

 sunny reflection of some sheltered gravel walk, or 

 ditch-bank in a warm lane ; and here it darts and 

 whisks about, in seeming continual suspicion 01 

 danger ; starting away with angry haste, yet re- 

 turning immediately to the spot it had left ; buffet- 

 ing and contending with every winged fly that ap- 

 proaches, with a jealous, pugnacious fury, that keeps 

 it in constant agitation. This action, its long project- 



