350 THE BEE-KEEPER’S MANUAL. 
and the last segments, or tail, are white. This is precisely the 
colouring of both the bees (Figs. 1 and 2); but then the single 
pair of wings, the legs without the enlarged or honey-bearing 
tibia, and even the anatomical structure of the body itself, 
though under the disguising fur mantle of identical colour, is 
of itself amply sufficient to denote that the insect belongs to 
another and very distinct class. 
Still, the close general resemblance of this insect, Volucella 
plumata, is indisputable, and as it passes into the nest of the 
bee, in order to deposit its eggs (one to each) on many of the 
living larvie of the bees, it might certainly, to a casual observer, 
pass for one of the family, wLile entering the bees’ nest on its 
mission of murder to the infant bees in their cell-cradles. The 
egg of this parasite, being deposited in the warm folds of the 
soft skin of the bee larva, is rapidly hatched, and it at once 
proceeds to its unnatural feast, slowly devouring the foster 
parent whose breast had warmed it into life; the bee larva, as 
I have stated, being a soft, legless grub, with no powers of 
escape. The larva of the Volucella is an odious-looking creature, 
with its broad tail armed with sharp spines, and its muscular 
body tapering to the head, and furnished with rigid serrations 
along each side, forming a striking contrast to the soft, helpless 
larva of the bee. Like all the larve of the Syrphide, to which 
the genus Volucella belongs, it is blind; but resting attached by 
the broad tail, it moves its head rapidly about as a feeler, 
before changing its position. The spikes at the tail may be 
adapted to enable it to raise itself up the smooth sides of the 
cell of the bee larva, in case that one infant bee should prove 
insufficient, and that it might require to pass on to the next 
cradle. But it may be as well to describe the progress of the 
parasitic larva on the supposition that one baby bee will prove 
enough for its purpose. The devoted larva of the bee, then, is 
gradually eaten alive by the parasite; which, with seemingly 
horrible instinct, spares all the actually vital parts, taking only 
the more fleshy portions, until the carnivorous young Volucella 
feels itself full fed and ready to undergo its torpid state of 
change. Then the last remains of the wretched infant bee 
are greedily consumed, and the parasite passes into its sleepy 
