FLIGHT AGAINST WIND. 185 



the health and preservation of the plant, these aphidivorous 

 flies, in their active and elegant maturity, heighten the beauty 

 of the flower by adding to the number of its prettiest fre- 

 quenters, as they now hover over the enamelled beds in sus- 

 pension, seeming motionless, but maintained, in reality, by 

 fast vibration of their pinions then dart with rapidity to 

 some other wing-poised station. 



Few, perhaps, to look at the great burly body of a humble 

 bee when he is "tippling freely in a flower," would suspect 

 him of out-cutting, when on wing, all the other high-fliers, 

 a'nd swift-fliers, and far-fliers, of his order (Hymenoptera), in- 

 cluding, as it does, all other bees, wasps, ichneumons, and 

 saw-flies. Yet such is his reputation in the field (of air), or in 

 the sporting calendar of the naturalist ; and while it outstrips 

 its kind, the humble-bee (by no means humble in this parti- 

 cular) far exceeds, says Kirby, in proportion to its size, the 

 flight of any bird. 



It is said by a German naturalist,-* in speaking of the 

 emigrations of the feathered race, that birds require a wind 

 which blows against them, such a contrary current helping to 

 raise, and assist their flight.' We are not aware, indeed, of 

 any insect known to require this seemingly hindering help ; 

 but, however little one might think it, the comparatively 

 fragile wings even of insects are often arrayed in battle 

 against an opposing current. 



* M. Brehm. 



