126 
A NATURALIST ON THE PROWL. 
caterpillar resting drowsily on a leaf, with two villainous, 
red-eyed flies standing by watching it. I felt sure there 
was mischief afoot and determined to see it out. In a 
short time one of the flies approached the caterpillar cauti- 
ously, till she almost pressed against the long tufts of hair 
which grew out of its side. These held her at bay and she 
could get no nearer. But she was provided against this 
difficulty. Quietly she took out of her pocket an ovipositor, 
which opened like a telescope till it was nearly half an 
inch in length. Passing this carefully between the tufts 
of hair, she stuck an egg on the soft under-parts of the 
caterpillar without even awakening it. Then she drew 
back with a tread as stealthy as that of a cat, and moving 
a few paces further, stuck another. This she repeated 
several times before my eyes, and I never thought of 
interfering : I was too much interested. Besides, who 
was I that I should interfere ? 
But I find more interest in those caterpillars which, 
coming into the world without armour of any kind, and 
being savoury meat, elude death by cunning disguises, 
or skilful works of defence. Some make burrows in the 
hard trunks of trees, but this requires special and very 
powerful jaws, which do not consist well with the plan 
