BEE. 421 



green colour. Others again are so very small that the female 

 pierces even the eggs of moths and butterflies, and deposits her 

 own in each ; as the ichneumon ovulorum of Linnaeus, one of the 

 smallest of the whole tribe : it is of a black colour, with rufus 

 legs, and long filiform antenna?. 



Other Ichneumons are of a very considerable size, and the 

 females of these select some larger caterpillar for their victim; at 

 those of the larger sphinges, such as the S. Ligustri, convolvuli, 

 &c. or one of the large and middle-sized moths, as the phalaena 

 vinula, quercus, &c. &c. These large ichneumons are generally- 

 bred in small numbers, and sometimes the female deposits but a 

 single egg in the selected caterpillar. This may be instanced in 

 the ichneumon ramidulus, the larve of which is thus bred in th 

 caterpillar of the sphinx ligustri : it is a very large ichneumon, of 

 a dull yellowish colour, with a cast of brown on the thorax, and 

 with the antennae and abdomen tipped with black : the abdomen is 

 also of a falciform shape, curving downwards, and compressed on 

 the sides. Ichneumon Iuteus is a large species, nearly allied to 

 the former, and of similar manners. 



The seeming severity of the process ordained by nature, for 

 giving birth to the genus ichneumon, may be much diminished by 

 supposing, (what all the ensuing phaenomena seem to imply) that, 

 after the first operation of piercing the skin, and depositing the 

 eggs, is performed by the female ichneumon, the caterpillar feels 

 no acute pain ; the included enemies feeding only on its juices, 

 and evidently sparing the more important organs ; so that it loses 

 Us life by a very gradual decay. 



[Swammerdum. Shaw. Roesel. 



SECTION XIII. 



Bee. 



Apis mellifica. Link. 



This is an insect, that from its curious instinctive faculties, ex* 

 quisite mechanical art, and above all useful productive labour, is 

 entitled to minute attention ; and whose history affords an equal 

 portion of amusement and instruction. Perhaps the two most 



tzJ 



