3o8 FLASHLIGHTS ON NATURE 



have had time to accustom themselves to the outer 

 air, the male flies soar abroad on gauzy wings to 

 seek their mates; the ladies, on the contrary, are 

 coy, not to say somewhat sluggish, and oftenest 

 wait at home on the under side of a leaf till their 

 lords come to woo them. The well-bred Hessian 

 fly does not gad about to seek a husband. But 

 that is only while she is a maiden ; as soon as it 

 comes to laying eggs, she wakes up at once, and 

 takes to business with the utmost energy. She 

 flies off around the fields and looks out a fresh 

 young barley-plant, suitable for a nursery. On 

 its leaves she alights, with her head towards the tip 

 of the blade, and begins depositing her precious 

 burden. When once she has started, she sticks to 

 it for life, using herself up (like our old friend the 

 aphis) in the duties of maternity, and laying as 

 many eggs as she possesses material for. Her 

 conduct, in short, would be exemplary, if she 

 wasted her life on thistles or nettles, and didn't 

 choose to display her maternal affection on the 

 British farmer's barley. So she goes on till she 

 has worn herself out, and often till she has broken 

 three or four of her legs in the pursuit of duty. 

 Then, when she grows quite exhausted, and feels 

 her latter end drawing nigh, she hides herself in 

 the ground buries herself alive, in fact ; and there 

 awaits death with patient resignation. 



The average lifetime of the Hessian fly in the 

 adult winged stage seems to be about five days for 

 the females, and probably a good deal less for the 

 males. The bachelors in search of a wife fly some- 



