70 GRAMMAR OF ENTOMOLOGY. 



habits, and will generally be found busy in pro- 

 viding for the establishment of her numerous pro- 

 geny : placed, at her birth, among myriads of 

 hop-flies, she has no dwelling to construct with 

 artful industry, nor stores of food to collect by 

 distant rovings. 



222. With extended antennae, and wings shiver- 

 ing with desire, she paces leisurely amongst the 

 defenceless herd ; and as soon as she has selected 

 one by a light touch of her antennae, she stops 

 short at about her own length from it, and rising 

 on stiffened legs, bends her body under her breast 

 till the end of it projects beyond her mouth ; 

 then erecting her back by depressing the hinder 

 part, she simultaneously makes a lunge forward 

 with the body, which is then extraordinarily 

 lengthened, and, by a momentary touch, deposits 

 an egg on the under- side of the hop-fly, near its tail. 



223. The hop-fly will sometimes kick and 

 sprawl, so as to discompose the ichneumon ; but 

 being anchored by its sucker plunged in the bark, 

 can make no effectual attempt to elude the deadly 

 weapon : should it, however, be wandering at 

 large, and free to struggle, she shews great 

 activity, by traversing round it in the attitude of 

 attack, till she can take it in flank. 



224. The delicate sense of the antennae seems 

 to warn her where a germ has been already de- 

 posited, as she will pass by those which have 

 been stung some days before ; and there is never 



