GOLDEN EYE. 71 



numbers in which the flies were found sheltering indoors, and also 

 their delicate appearance, as follows: — "The house of a friend of mine 

 has been infested this winter with great numbers of (to all appearance) 

 Trout Flies ! An unoccupied room has been principally troubled, but 

 the flies have been found all over the house, which is large and old- 

 fashioned " ; and enquiries were sent as to the nature of the visitors, 

 and the probable reason for their appearance. 



A little earlier (in the latter part of January), a number of Chrysopas 

 were sent me from a locality near Hastings, with mention that the 

 flies were very numerous in the house, and the just remark relatively 

 to their remarkable fragile and delicate appearance, that the creature 

 looked much more fitted to make its appearance in the summer than 

 in the winter. 



A good supply of these Chnjsopas, or "Golden Eyes," were sent 

 me, almost all apparently of the very common kind, the C. pcrla 

 (figured somewhat larger than life at p. 70) ; but as they were dead, 

 and bad previously been in a state of hybernation, and the colours 

 consequently not in their proper brightness, it was possible some of 

 the others of the dozen or so of English kinds might be present. This 

 especially in the case of one specimen variously marked with rosy or 

 pink, which might very possibly be the C. carnea, a kind just a little 

 larger than the C. })erla. 



This kind (the C. perla) is from about a third to half an inch in 

 the length of the body, and from a little more than one inch to an 

 inch and three-quarters in the spread of the four beautifully iridescent 

 gauzy wings. The Chrysopas are generally green ; this kind is of a 

 palish or yellowish green, the horns long and thread-like, the eyes 

 globose, and during life of a rich golden tint, from which these insects 

 take their name of " Golden Eyes." The name of Lace-wings, also 

 sometimes given, well describes the light wing-texture with its many 

 cross nervures. 



The' grubs are carnivorous, — in the words of John Curtis, "ferocious 

 little animals," — some of which (see figure, p. 70) clothe themselves 

 with the skins of the insects which they have swallowed the available 

 portions of, others cover themselves with lichens, and thus, hidden 

 from their own bird enemies, watch for their own insect food. They 

 have been observed to seize an Aphis with their long and strong jaws, 

 and devour the largest in half a minute, or, failing more acceptable 

 food, would eat each other, or even suck the contents of a caterpillar 

 much larger than themselves. The colours of these grubs are various, 

 but appear to be whitish or fuscous, with brown or orange spots, and 

 at the sides of the body are fleshy tubercles, with a spreading tuft of 

 hairs attached to each (see figure 4, magnified, p. 70) ; they have 

 strong jaws, six feet, and "the apex of the abdomen is prehensile, 



