THE " QUICK-WINGED GNAT " 51 



morning ? She is intent on business. Before 

 the sun is well up she means to lay two or 

 three hundred eggs, so she has no time to lose. 



Quickly she proceeds to pop her tiny eggs, 

 one by one, upon the water, carefully glueing 

 them together ; and soon she holds between 

 her slender legs a little mass of eggs shaped 

 like a tiny boat. Then, her work done, with 

 a joyous " ping ! " she darts up into the air 

 again to spend the rest of the summer's day 

 in merry dancing. 



The little egg-raft is left floating on the 

 water. It is water-proof, and so well shaped 

 that it cannot sink. Each tiny egg is pointed 

 at the top and provided at the lower end with 

 a lid, like a little trap- door through which the 

 baby Gnats will escape as soon as they are 

 ready to pop out into the water. 



The little egg-raft floats on the pond all 

 day, but early next morning one after another 

 the little lids are pushed open and the wee 

 Gnat babies leave their tiny boat. 



These children are not in the least like 

 Mother Gnat, but this does not surprise us, for 

 we know this is the rule in the insect world. At 

 first they are so very small that one can hardly 

 see them at all ; but if you could look at these 



