Objects for the Microscope. 117 



and that they are our appointed avengers to check the 

 depredations of the Cabbage Caterpillar, the Microgaster 

 GLomeratus. 



APHIDIUS AVEN^l, EPHEDRUS PLAGIATOE, CERAPHRON 



CARPENTERII. 



These Ichneumon-flies defend us in the same way from 

 the Aphides which disfigure our rose-trees. The first two 

 lay an egg in the body of the Aphis, which is inwardly 

 devoured by the larva and dies ; we may see it turned 

 brown and still adhering to the leaves. If the fly has 

 escaped, there will be a small round hole in the side of the 

 Aphis, and a little circular door attached by an uncut por- 

 tion of the skin. The Ceraphron, a most lovely little fly, 

 destroys, not the Aphis, but the larva of the Ephedrus 

 inside the Aphis. It is able to find out, even in an appa- 

 rently healthy Aphis, that an egg has been deposited by its 

 sister Ichneumon, and that the larva is hatched, when it 

 immediately pierces the already smitten insect, and provides 

 for its own offspring in laying its egg inside the internal 

 parasite. Thus, in preparing many of the brown and black 

 dead bodies of Aphides, we may obtain specimens of each 

 of these beautiful Ichneumons. 



CHELTMORPHA PHTLLOPHORA, OR THE TURTLE-SHAPED 

 LEAF-BEARER. 



This most curious insect is the pupa of Chelymorpha, an 

 insect discovered by the Rev. J. Thornton, on the leaves 

 of the Maple (Acer campestris) ; it is intermediate between 

 the Aphis and the Coccus. The singular leaf-like appen- 

 dages round the body and attached to the legs require a 

 half-inch object glass. 



