114 A NOVEL LIFEBOAT. 
plants, for the larva is easily discovered holding 
on to them a little below the surface of the water. 
He is a long, round, ugly-looking grub, divided 
into twelve segments or rings. The second pair 
of feet are prehensile, and used for holding on by. 
He is rather active when undisturbed, but the 
slightest touch and he hangs by the feet, exactly 
resembling then a bit of dead rush. When the 
larva has attained its full growth, it spins a small 
delicately-fine silken bag, in which it changes to 
the pupa state; this bag is invariably left open at 
the top, and, being spun the long way of the 
stalk to which it is affixed, the pupa is in an up- 
right position, and the head of the pupa protrudes 
a little way out of the bag. Four hair-like fila- 
ments, like horns, project from the head of the 
pupa, and are supposed to be breathing organs. 
About the end of June the delicate little fly bursts 
from its sarcophagus, and prepares for an aerial 
existence; and a contrivance utterly different 
from the mosquito boat, yet equally beautiful 
and effective, aids the newly-liberated captive to 
escape being drowned. Maturity attained, the 
pupa-case splits down the back, and the end of 
the silken bag being open, out creeps the fly, 
not into the water, but into a minute silken 
balloon, a part of the pupa-case, or, I imagine, the 
