. Insect transformations . ighter stripes on the shoulders, is not blue in theabdomen, but grayish black, and all over chequeredwith squares of a lighter colour. This chequered blow-fly {Scnxophaga carnaria, Meigen) does not evenbelong to the same genus as the preceding, and differsfrom it in the remarkable circumstance of hatchingits eggs in an abdominal pouch, and instead of eggsdepositing maggots upon dead carcasses. The eggsof all the flesh flies are in sultry weather hatched withgreat rapidity; but in the case of the chequered blow-fly, nature has provided the means of still more rapiddes
. Insect transformations . ighter stripes on the shoulders, is not blue in theabdomen, but grayish black, and all over chequeredwith squares of a lighter colour. This chequered blow-fly {Scnxophaga carnaria, Meigen) does not evenbelong to the same genus as the preceding, and differsfrom it in the remarkable circumstance of hatchingits eggs in an abdominal pouch, and instead of eggsdepositing maggots upon dead carcasses. The eggsof all the flesh flies are in sultry weather hatched withgreat rapidity; but in the case of the chequered blow-fly, nature has provided the means of still more rapiddestruction for removing the oflensive parts of arrangement of the numerous minute larvae in thepouch is very remarkable, and resemi>les the coil of awatch-spring or a roll of ribbon. R aumur had thepatience and perseverance to uncoil this multitudinousassemblage of flies in embryo, and found it about twoinches and a half in length, though the body of themother-fly herself was only about one-third of an inch,. A itie chequered blowfly. B, tlie nlxloineii nf the cluniiifiblow-fly, opeiitnl and mngnificd,showing tli« coil or\oiuii; liii>C, th« eoil of Jarvie pertly unwound. OVO-VIVirAROUS INSECTS. Ill and he computed that there were al)out 20,000 youngin the coil.* When this extraordinary fecundity isconsidered, we need not wonder at the countless swarmswhich appear as if by magic upon a jcint of meat du-ring hot weather. Like most female insects, the mother-fly dies in afew days after giving birth to her numerous brood;but, unlike the oviparous flies, she seems to take aconsiderable time to deposit the whole. It would beimpossible indeed for her pouch to contain the larvaeif they were all hatched at the same time; and there-fore it has been so ordered by Providence that theyshould arrive at maturity in succession. From theearly death of the mother, R aumur conjectured thatthey did not scruple to eat their way through herbowels; but he disproved his supposition
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookidinsecttransforma00inr, booksubjectinsects
