THE GOLDEN-EYE. 207 



curved forceps, consisting apparently of the man- 

 dibles, but on examining them beneath we find that 

 they are deeply channeled throughout their whole 

 length, and that the channel is closed by the maxillae, 

 so that each of these compound jaws forms a tubular 

 organ, communicating with the cavity of the mouth. 

 It is through these tubes that the creature sucks its 

 food, which consists almost exclusively of the juices 

 of the Aphides, or Plant-lice, which are often so 

 destructive in our gardens and fields ; and so great is 

 the voracity of the larva, that in about half a minute 

 after it has buried the points of its jaws in the body 

 of a large Aphis, it will have exhausted all its fluids, 

 and be ready to renew the attack upon another 

 victim. In this way these larvae, like those of the 

 Lady-birds, and of some Dipterous flies, make such 

 havoc amongst the Plant-lice, that it is said two or 

 three of them placed upon a plant infested by these 

 little pests, will speedily remove them effectually. 

 The larva of Hemerobius Perla covers itself in a curious 

 manner with the skins of its victims, but this does 

 not appear to be a common practice -with other species 

 of the group. 



When full grown, the larva encloses itself in a 

 silky cocoon, which is remarkable for its very small 

 size when compared with the insect which is to issue 

 from it, that of the Golden- eye being not larger 

 than a small pea. The mode in which the silk is 

 spun, or rather the position from which the matter 

 forming it issues, is also very singular, for instead of 

 having its spinning-tube placed beneath the head, as 

 is the case in most larvae which are furnished with 

 silk-glands, the larvae of the Hemerobiina bear their 

 tubular spinnerets in the tail. In the cocoon thus 



