ENEMIES OF THE CATERPILLAR. 
71 
then descends, dragging the caterpillar after her. 
Having arranged it to her mind, she comes up 
again, and closes the door, pressing the earth 
down with her fore feet. She has been even seen 
to fetch a leaf or two and lay over the hole, as if 
to mark the spot. 
But the most formidable enemy the caterpillar 
has, is a fly called the ichneumon fly. The name 
has been given to it, because it is as useful 
to us, in keeping down insects, as the animal 
ichneumon is to the Egyptians, in devouring the 
eggs and the young of the crocodile. The ich¬ 
neumon was once believed to enter the crocodile’s 
mouth, whenever it found one asleep ; to go down 
its throat, and having killed it, to work its way 
out again. This is only a fable, but it is really 
a little like the manner in which the caterpillar 
is treated by the ichneumon fly; for she is always 
on the watch, not to eat it, but to lay her eggs 
in its body. 
I must first of all tell you, that the ichneumon 
fly is furnished with a very sharp weapon, or borer, 
for the express purpose of making deep holes, in 
which to lay her eggs. The borer is sometimes 
longer than the fly herself, and is composed of 
three parts; the two outer ones being a mere 
sheath, and opening like a pair of compasses. 
The inner part, or the borer itself, is armed with 
