H PLATE XLII. 



Ichneumons are the moft voracious of all the winged Infants 5 — in 

 their nature, robuil: and powerful, and armed with a formidable fting ^ 

 they are the dread, and deflroyer of other tribes, and mortal enemies 

 to each other; like the animal * whence their fignificant appellation is 

 derived, they exift by rapine and plunder, and fupport their infant 

 offspring on the vitals of larger Infetts. 



The female Ichneumon, when ready to lay her eggs, is feen eagerly 

 rufliing from one plant to another, if its prey offers, which is generally 

 the Larva of the Phalcena^ Papilio^ &c. it darts down with the fero- 

 city of an eagle, and grafps the tender body in its claws ; it is now 

 in vain that the unwieldy animal attempts refiftance, as all its efforts 

 are but the fport of a favage conqueror. For raifmg the body almoft 

 upright, or into the form of a bow, the creature returns it in an in- 

 iiant, and dafhes the fting up to the bafe, in the foftePj part of the ca- 

 terpillar's body; this, if undifturbed, it will repeat thirty or forty times, 

 always choofmg a frefh fpot for every new wound, and often entirely 

 fcarifying the Infect. The flung animal refufes to eat, and fometimes 

 its illnefs terminates in its death, though generally the eggs are ma- 

 tured, and the Infedls produced from the living body, fo that if it 

 furvives its mifery, and the wounds heal, the heat of the body ripens 

 the embryos, and the young Ichneumons gnaw, and tear large paffages 

 through the body, to complete their delivery. July and Auguft are 

 the Adonths thofe fpecies we have defcribed are on the v/ing. 



* The Ichneumon is a well known animal in Egypt, particularly near the rives 

 Kile, and are ufeful for deftroying the Eggs of the Crocodile, &c. 



