Insects at home; being a popular account of insects, their structure, habits and transformations . part of the bodybecomes thick and blunt. Before many days have elapsed,the fly is fully developed, pushes strongly against the end ofits habitation, forces off the end with its head, and emergesupon the world. Another species of these insects, Syrphus or SocBva pyrastri,is shown on Woodcut LXXIII. Fig. 1. This fine insect isblackish-blue, on which is a whitish-grey down. The thoraxis very shining, and on each side of the abdomen are threeshort bands, varying from pure white to golden yellow. Inso
Insects at home; being a popular account of insects, their structure, habits and transformations . part of the bodybecomes thick and blunt. Before many days have elapsed,the fly is fully developed, pushes strongly against the end ofits habitation, forces off the end with its head, and emergesupon the world. Another species of these insects, Syrphus or SocBva pyrastri,is shown on Woodcut LXXIII. Fig. 1. This fine insect isblackish-blue, on which is a whitish-grey down. The thoraxis very shining, and on each side of the abdomen are threeshort bands, varying from pure white to golden yellow. Insome few species the bands are absent. The larva may befound feediijg on the aphides of the rose-tree. SWARM OF HAWK-FLIES. 625 All the Hawk-flies are extremely variable in their numbers,sometimes being very scarce, while at other times they appearin swarms. There is a notice in the Entomologist, vol. 357, by Mr. C. Home, in which the numbers of theseinsects are mentioned. At Margate, on August 24, 1869, there came a greatnumber of these insects, so as to attract the notice of all LZZIII. 1. Syrphus (or Scseva) Tachina grossa. a. Do., head,of male. 2. Conops macrocephalns. 3. Tachina ferox. b. Do., antenna. c. Conops macrocephalns, abdomen visitors. Many specimens were taken, among which I haveidentified Syrphus balteatus, S. decorits, S. tceniatus, S. topia-Hus, and Eristalis tenax. The wind was then blowing fromthe east, and it was very hot weather. The pier at Eamsgateon the same day was almost covered with them, and everyonesaid that they came from the Channel. After this tlie windwas from inland, but it was too fresh and breezy for many to s s 626 INSECTS AT HOME. remain; and they had become so scarce in the month ofSeptember, that with difficulty seven or eight specimens wereprocured. The servant at one of the houses in Clifton Terrace,Margate, says that she had to go to all the windows witha dust-pan and brush, to take them away from the window-ledges ;
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectentomology, bookyear1
