Daddy Long-legs. 



93 



Photo by] [H. S. Cheavin. 



Egg-Placer OF Crane-Fly. 



The parts are separated to show- 

 distinctly the borer (left) and the 

 egg-tube (right). Magnified thirty 

 times. 



pointed than that of the male, and has a hornv tip more 

 suitable for piercing the ground. 



The daddy long-legs is about an inch and a quarter in 

 length, and the narrow wings are a little over an inch long. 

 Behind the latter will be seen the pair of " balancers " 

 which in the two-winged flies ^ represent the hind pair of 

 wings in other Insects. The long legs are very lightly 

 attached and come off with very slight provocation, and 

 apparently with little inconvenience to the Insect. The 

 fore-body is stout, but the head is very small. 



The grub is very cylindrical, and its tough skin of dirty 

 grey-brown has gained for it the name of " leather-jacket." 

 When full grown it is an inch and a quarter long, and attains 

 that size by feeding incessantly on the roots of grasses and 

 other plants. Some grass-lands in certain seasons are very 

 full of them, and the grass suffers greatly from their atten- 

 tions. Fortunately not all the brood reach this stage, for 

 large numbers are destroyed by rooks and starlings, whose 

 strong bills enable them to reach the grubs in their ap- 

 parent ly 

 safe re- 

 treat un- 



Having survived this 



derground. 

 danger the fortunate ones assume 

 the chrysalis form, and are then 

 much like the chrysalis of a moth — 

 that of a swift-moth, for example. 

 On each ring of the body it is 

 furnished with a row of bristles 

 which point backwards, and enable 

 the creature by a little wriggling to 

 go forward. When it is about to 

 cast off its chrysalis skin, it makes 

 use of this equipment to ascend to 

 the surface, and half-way into the 

 air. In autumn large numbers of 

 them may be seen in this position, 

 quite erect. There are two curved 

 horns standing out behind the 

 head, and these enable the chrysa- 

 lis to breathe. If one of these pro- 

 truding chrysalids be watched, it 

 will be seen to split its skin on the 

 back behind the head, and the 

 perfect Insect will emerge, drawing 



Photo 6>'] 



Crane-I'"lv. 



[£. step, F.L.S. 



In general appearance this cranc-lly is very like the larger " daddy," 

 but in addition to being little more than half its size, the shape of the 

 body will be seen at a glance to be different. The photograph is nearly 

 twice the actual size. 



^ Diptera. 



