52 INSECT LIFE IN POND AND STREAM 



Gnat babies through a magnifying glass you 

 would see a number of queer little creatures, 

 with long, slender bodies, very big heads, and 

 forked tails. They 

 have no legs at all, 

 > , but round their 



^r heads are a number 



^kt of stiff bristles stick- 



ing straight out like 

 W whiskers, and with 



M these the funny 



m little insects are con- 



tinually sweeping 

 the water. 



These odd little 

 Gnat babies spend 

 most of their time 

 hanging by their 



A BABY GNAT. , . , , -. 



tails irom the 



surface-film on the top of the water, all 

 crowded together as close as can be. But if a 

 shadow passes overhead, down they dive 

 below, and begin plunging and wriggling and 

 darting about in the wildest state of excite- 

 ment. They soon come up again though, 

 tail first, and hang themselves from the top 

 of the water as before. 



