246 



Microscopical Essays. 



infect. Many other Angularities are to be found among the 

 aquatic larva. 



The reader will not, I hope, be difpleafed with another account 

 of the mufca pendula, drawn up by a naturalift. who knew how to 

 render every fubjecl: interefting, but more particularly thofe of 

 this fcience. " Being out, fays he, on an excurfion with fome 

 friends, we were ftruck with the appearance of a little puddle of 

 reddifh water, the furface of which was in continual motion ; on 

 taking up fome of this water, we found a number of dirty fhape- 

 lefs animals, which had much the appearance of a common mag- 

 got, but much uglier ; they were brown, thick, and fhort, and 

 furnifhed with tails. I ordered them to be laid down on the grafs, 

 and difpatched a fervant for fome clear water, and then began to 

 explain their nature, origin, and properties. 



"I had often informed my companions that none of the winged 

 infecls were hatched in their perfect ft ate from the egg, but that 

 they all are firft produced in the form of worms, maggots, or 

 caterpillars ; or, in other words, covered with fkins, under which 

 they live, move, and eat, and have the appearance of very 

 different animals from their .parents ; they were not, therefore, 

 furprized, when I informed them that the creatures before us 

 were not in their ultimate ftafe, but were the produce of the bee 

 fly, an infe6t refembling the common humble bee in form, flze, 

 and colour, but having only two wings ; whereas the bee has 

 four, and a fting, which is wanting to the fly. 



i( This fly is infl.ru cted by the Univerfal Guide and Guardian of 

 nature, to lay it's eggs about the edges of the water. It's young, 

 6 while 



