504 THE LEPIDOPTERA. 



a powerful sting, with a very large poison-gland, becomes no despicable foe to those who 

 offend it, or whom it chooses to consider as foes. 



The nests of the Humble Bees are not permanent like those of the hive bee, but perish 

 during the winter, the only survivors being a few females, who are destined to found, 

 fresh colonies in the succeeding year. 



The central figure of the plate represents the BANDED BEE, the species which is so 

 greatly in use in Egypt, and which is fed by being placed on board of barges, and transported 

 down the Nile, so as to insure a bountiful supply of honey. The owners of the hives pay 

 a small sum to the owners of the boats, and, in return, their bees are carried along the 

 fertile stream during the honey season, and afterwards returned with full combs. Payment 

 is mostly in kind, thus insuring the proper fulfilment of the compact. 



For want of space, we are compelled to pass by many interesting Hymenoptera, such as 

 the Leaf-cutter Bees, the "Wood-borers, and the Mason Bees, each of which creatures would 

 demand more space than can be given to the whole of the insects. 



Another species of Humble Bee is given at the lower part of the engraving on 

 page 463. The remaining figures represent two beetles, one belonging to the Dynastidoe, 

 and given in order to show the remarkable doubly-forked projection of the head, and the 

 other, belonging to the Crioceridte, and represented on account of the astonishing develop- 

 ment of the hinder legs. It is nearly related to the beautiful little Donacia, so common 

 on aquatic plants, and is equally brilliant in its golden green armour. 



STKEPSIPTEEA. 



A VERY small, but very remarkable order now comes before our notice, the STREPSIPTERA, 

 comprising insects of very minute proportions, all of which are parasitic upon the bodies 

 of different bees and wasps, five, and even six, having been discovered within a single 

 wasp. Their presence may generally be discovered by the peculiar swollen aspect of the 

 abdomen, and, in many cases, the heads of the parasites may be seen protruding from 

 between the segments. 



The name Strepsiptera signifies, literally, twisted wings, and is given to these creatures 

 because the front pair of wings are transformed into short and twisted appendages, quite 

 useless for flight or for defending the second pair of wings. These are almost dispro- 

 portionately large, membranous, and with a kind of milky look as the insect flies through 

 the air. The eye is composed of a very few lenses, in some species only fifteen on each 

 side, two or three thousand being the ordinary average among insects. The antenna are of 

 a remarkable form^ branched and forked like the horns of a stag. The thorax is enor- 

 mously large, and the abdomen of very small size ; but as the creature does not appear to 

 take food during its life in the perfect state, this is of little moment. Curiously enough, 

 the larvae of these insects are themselves subject to internal parasites ; and it is very 

 possible that they, in their turn, may be infested by other creatures less than itself, and 

 equally disagreeable. 



LEPIDOPTERA. 



We now come to an order in which are included the most beautiful of all insects, 

 namely, the Butterflies and Moths. On account of the feather-like scales with which their 

 wings are covered, and to which the exquisite colouring is due, they are technically called 

 Lepidoptera, or scale-winged insects. 



The wings are four in number, and it is occasionally found that the two pairs are 

 connected together by a strong bristle in one, and a hook-like appendage in the other, so 

 that the two wings of each side practically become one member, in a manner similar to 

 the formation of many hymenopterous insects. Those species which take any nourishment 



