﻿the 
  Hessian 
  Fly. 
  347 
  

  

  in 
  the 
  hearts 
  and 
  minds 
  of 
  those 
  who 
  are 
  content 
  to 
  

   follow 
  closely 
  these 
  marvellous 
  transformations. 
  

  

  The 
  pupa 
  now 
  commenced 
  to 
  bend 
  its 
  head 
  down 
  

   several 
  times, 
  when 
  the 
  skin 
  burst 
  at 
  the 
  top 
  and 
  back 
  

   of 
  the 
  thorax, 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  fly 
  (a 
  male) 
  slowly 
  and 
  

   majestically 
  seemed 
  to 
  rise, 
  until 
  it 
  had 
  protruded 
  as 
  far 
  

   as 
  the 
  eighth 
  segment, 
  the 
  antennae, 
  wings 
  and 
  legs 
  

   being 
  pressed 
  closely 
  around 
  it. 
  

  

  It 
  now 
  commenced 
  bending 
  backwards 
  and 
  forwards, 
  

   occasionally 
  stopping 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  peculiar 
  sort 
  of 
  lifting 
  

   movement, 
  after 
  which 
  it 
  succeeded 
  in 
  withdrawing 
  its 
  

   antennae, 
  moving 
  them 
  up 
  and 
  down 
  ; 
  continuing 
  the 
  

   back 
  and 
  forward 
  movements, 
  it 
  partially 
  released 
  its 
  

   wings, 
  and 
  began 
  to 
  draw 
  up 
  its 
  legs 
  from 
  out 
  their 
  

   delicate 
  sheaths, 
  making 
  great 
  muscular 
  efforts 
  to 
  release 
  

   its 
  wings, 
  until 
  at 
  last 
  one 
  became 
  free, 
  then 
  renewed 
  

   exertion 
  to 
  get 
  its 
  legs 
  out, 
  the 
  femora 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  and 
  

   second 
  pair 
  projecting 
  in 
  front 
  ; 
  the 
  other 
  wing 
  was 
  next 
  

   released, 
  and 
  both 
  hung 
  over 
  the 
  back 
  like 
  two 
  bits 
  of 
  

   stick 
  ; 
  then 
  first 
  leg 
  free, 
  then 
  the 
  second 
  ; 
  the 
  antennae 
  

   during 
  these 
  contortions 
  had 
  been 
  gradually 
  expanding 
  

   their 
  whorls 
  of 
  hairs 
  ; 
  the 
  third 
  pair 
  of 
  femora 
  now 
  began 
  

   to 
  project, 
  and 
  the 
  fly 
  looked 
  as 
  though 
  it 
  might 
  fall 
  out 
  

   and 
  be 
  injured 
  ; 
  but 
  just 
  when 
  the 
  second 
  pair 
  of 
  legs 
  

   were 
  quite 
  free, 
  it 
  swung 
  them 
  about 
  until 
  one 
  caught 
  

   hold 
  of 
  the 
  stem, 
  towards 
  which 
  the 
  fly 
  immediately 
  

   drew 
  itself 
  until 
  it 
  had 
  a 
  firm 
  hold, 
  when 
  it 
  quickly 
  

   withdrew 
  the 
  remaining 
  pair 
  of 
  legs, 
  becoming 
  quite 
  free 
  

   and 
  walking 
  along 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  bent 
  straw, 
  

   hung 
  attached 
  by 
  its 
  first 
  and 
  second 
  pair 
  of 
  legs, 
  with 
  

   the 
  abdomen 
  perpendicular, 
  and 
  the 
  claspers 
  on 
  the 
  tail 
  

   in 
  the 
  same 
  position 
  ; 
  the 
  stick-like 
  wings 
  were 
  flapped 
  

   together 
  over 
  its 
  back 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  times, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  

   quarter 
  of 
  an 
  hour 
  were 
  fully 
  expanded, 
  and 
  then 
  crossed 
  

   in 
  position 
  ; 
  the 
  anal 
  claspers 
  turned 
  up 
  over 
  the 
  back, 
  

   the 
  tips 
  bent 
  downwards, 
  and 
  at 
  8.30 
  p.m., 
  or 
  exactly 
  an 
  

   hour 
  and 
  a 
  quarter 
  after 
  the 
  straw 
  was 
  split, 
  the 
  fly 
  

   made 
  its 
  first 
  flight. 
  The 
  tiny 
  silvery 
  shroud 
  or 
  pupa- 
  

   case 
  is 
  left 
  still 
  protruding 
  from 
  the 
  straw. 
  I 
  have 
  

   watched 
  flies, 
  both 
  males 
  and 
  females, 
  emerge 
  from 
  

   isolated 
  pupae, 
  many 
  of 
  which 
  had 
  great 
  difficulty 
  in 
  

   freeing 
  their 
  legs 
  from 
  their 
  delicate 
  sheaths, 
  and 
  often 
  

   became 
  helpless 
  cripples 
  ; 
  and 
  yet 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  will 
  

   manage 
  to 
  crawl 
  to 
  a 
  plant, 
  and 
  lay 
  their 
  eggs 
  in 
  one 
  

   place 
  ; 
  one 
  of 
  these 
  laid 
  eighty 
  eggs 
  on 
  one 
  leaf. 
  Three 
  

  

  