62 MECHANICAL FUNCTIONS. 



Fig. 43. The eggs are very numerous, and are 



arranged in rows as seen by fig. 43, which 

 is a transverse section of 42. One of 

 these follicles being sent to Ro3sel, he ob- 

 served that a double row of egg-like bo- 

 dies sprouted up in close contact with 

 each other in a furrow, which divides the egg case longi- 

 tudinally ; these little eminences soon became animated, 

 for out of them he perceived the little Mantes struggling to 

 escape. As soon as one had succeeded in freeing itself 

 from the egg, it ran off with the agility of an ant, which 

 it resembled in form and nimbleness. 



MUSQUETO. 



The general appearance and habits of the Musqueto 

 are too well known to need description. It belongs to 

 the order Diptera. that is, double winged, these tribes 

 having only two wings, of which, the common house-fly 

 is another example. 



The Gnat and Musqueto belong to the same species, 

 the latter being only a large variety of the former. The 

 larvae of these insects in the warm season, are common 

 in all stagnant pools, and ditches. Even a small vessel 

 of water, if allowed to stand still, will soon exhibit these 

 little beings, diving and swimming about in all directions, 

 generally with their head downwards. They are, how- 

 ever, obliged often to rise to the surface to breathe, being 

 furnished with a small cylindrical tube for this pur- 

 pose. 



Changes of the Musqueto in the water. The Mus- 

 Fig. 44. queto undergoes several metamorphoses 

 before it leaves the water. The larva, at 

 first is composed of nine segments, each of 

 which is furnished with a number of fine 

 cilia on both sides, as shown by Fig. 44, 

 which is a magnified view of the insect. 



After having thrice changed its skin, as 

 it increases in size, it appears in a sort of len- 

 ticular, or bean-like form, as shown by Fig. 

 45. In this state, it is still capable of mo- 

 ving briskly through the water, in the manner 



