ROSE BEDEGUARS. 161 



to a branch, sometimes to the main stalk of a leaf. The plant 

 obeys, as usual, the behest of the parent fly, and speedily 

 puts forth its energies to cover the group of eggs committed 

 to its care ; but, instead of surrounding them by a fruit-like 

 globule, it produces, for their protection, a fibrous spiny mass, 

 shooting in clusters from the several cells which include, each, 

 its life in embryo. It is justly observed, by Mr. Rennie, that 

 " the prospective wisdom of this curious structure is admirable. 

 The Bedeguar grubs live in their cells through the winter, 

 and, as their domicile is usually on one of the highest branches, 

 it must be exposed to every severity of the weather. But 

 the close non-conducting warm mossy collection of bristles, 

 with which it is surrounded, forms, for the soft tender grubs, 

 a snug protection against the winter's cold; till, through the 

 influence of the warmth of the succeeding summer, they 

 undergo the final change into the winged state, preparatory to 

 which they eat their way with their sharp manidbles through 

 the walls of the little cells, which are then so hard as to be cut 

 with difficulty by a knife." 1 



The rightful possessors of this comfortable mass-covered 

 hybernaculum are four-winged flies of no extraordinary beauty; 2 

 but amongst the usurpers, which frequently deprive them in 

 infancy of life and lodging, are some splendid ichneumon 

 parasites, 3 which have been pronounced unrivalled for elegance 

 of form and brilliancy of colour. Their bodies, resplendent 

 with metallic hues, gold and purple, green and blue, and 

 their wings (also four) with iridescent lustre, these insect 

 gems, which want nothing but size to 'dazzle the admiring 

 eye, are beautiful objects for the microscope, and are easily 

 procurable by keeping some of the rose Bedeguars, gathered 

 in autumn or in spring, until about June; when, if placed 

 under a glass, the egress of their occupants, whether legitimate 

 or surreptitious, may be conveniently observed. 



1 Insect Architecture. 3 Vignette. 3 Vignette. 



