82 Mosquitoes 



skin, which floats on the water like a ghostly craft. 

 The weird rising continues until the wings are free, 

 the legs all this while being stiff, straight, and slanted 

 backward close to the body, which emerges at an 

 angle of 50 or so from the skin. The fore legs are 

 then drawn out and rest on the water, then the other 

 legs. The mosquito during this performance, and in 

 fact until the wings are dry, is in imminent danger 

 of being upset by the ripples, or a puff of wind, or 

 of seizure by some aquatic or aerial enemy. For a 

 moment's space the creature stands upon the surface 

 of the water, then the rainbow wings stiffen and 

 the insect lightly sails away to buzz, suck nectar, or 

 stab a victim. 



This slow emergence is in great contrast to the 

 sudden bursting forth of many of the Chironomidae, 

 which flash forth from the pupa skin with almost in- 

 credible rapidity, literally leaping from the pupa case 

 into instantaneous flight. This is necessary, particu- 

 larly in the case of those living in running water, 

 which would inevitably upset and drown an emerging 

 mosquito. 



