120 THE LIFE OF AN INSECT. 



complicated, intelligible to the reader. Looking 

 at the larva's head, we are reminded somewhat of 



The Mask partly open. The same partly dosed. 



that of a horse who has got blinders over his eyes, 

 and a nose-bag over his nose, and partly up his 

 cheeks. Now suppose the two blinders thrown 

 back on each side, then conceive that the lower 

 part of the face which we have supposed covered 

 with a nose-bag were to be uncovered, we should 

 then see the following curious contrivance. The 

 lower lip of this larva is lengthened downwards 

 into a sort of arm, if we may so speak ; at what 

 we may call the elbow, is a joint connecting the 

 upper and lower portions of it, and the place of 

 the hand is occupied by two cross plates, with a 

 claw at the end of each. Suppose an unhappy 

 insect, or even a tadpole, swims carelessly by the 

 larva, immediately the two sides of the mask, or 

 blinders, as we have called them, fly open ; the 

 arm is uncovered, the forearm let down, and by 



