8o The Colours of A nimals. 



following they remain without leaving their birth- 

 place, and consequently without food ; nor do they 

 in this long time change either in form or size. 

 M. Fabre ascertained this, not only by examining 

 the burrow of the bees, but also by direct obser- 

 vations of some young larvae kept in captivity. In 

 April, however, his captives at last awoke from 

 their long lethargy, and hurried anxiously about 

 their prisons. Naturally inferring that they were 

 in search of food, M. Fabre supposed that this 

 would consist either of the larvae or pupae of the 

 bee, or of the honey with which it stores its cell. 

 All three were tried without success. The first 

 two were neglected ; and the larvae, when placed on 

 the latter, either hurried away or perished in the 

 attempt, being evidently unable to deal with the 

 sticky substance. M. Fabre was in despair. The 

 first ray of light came to him from our countryman 

 Newport, who ascertained that a small parasite 

 found on one of the wild bees was, in fact, the 

 larva of the oil-beetle. The larvae of Sitaris much 

 resembled this larva. Acting on this hint, M. Fabre 

 examined many specimens of the bee, and found 

 on them at last the larvae of his Sitaris. The 

 males of the bee emerge from the pupae sooner 

 than the females, and M. Fabre ascertained that, as 

 they come out of their galleries, the little Sitaris 

 larvae fasten upon them. Not, however, for long : 

 instinct teaches them that they are not yet in the 

 straight path of development ; and, watching their 



