CHAPTER IV 



ICHNEUMON-FLY (rHYSSA PERSUASORIA) 



Having referred to ichneumon-flies I shall 

 now give an account of one, typical of the 

 class, whose subconscious manifestations are 

 wonderful as they are interesting. 



Ichneumonidse, of which there are a great 

 variety, include flies of all sizes from very 

 minute creatures upwards. Rhyssa persua- 

 soria, a four-winged powerful fly, has an 

 elongated body of a blackish colour with 

 yellowish lateral spots, and is the largest 

 British representative of this class. The 

 female has an ovipositor of surprising length 

 which is often mistaken for a sting, but is 

 really an egg-la5dng apparatus. If carefully 

 examined, this instrument is seen to be spUt 

 into three longitudinal sections. The centre 

 process is the ovipositor proper, around which 

 the two remaining hair-like sections close 

 tightly, forming a protective sheath. 



It must be understood that ichneumons in 

 the larval stage are parasitic on larvae of other 



