DIPTERA. NEMOCERA. 347 



decayed leaves spun together by silken threads, in which 

 they live. 



The family contains one, probably more, species living 

 in dung in the earlier stages. 



The legs of these insects are slender and not flattened. 



6. Culicidce, the true Gnats, are, some of them, so 

 well known as to be recognisable at once. Their size is 

 generally greater than that of insects in the preceding 

 families, and they are distinguished by the position of 

 the long proboscis, which is held projecting straight for- 

 ward (fig. 70, p. 340). This organ, comparatively incon- 

 spicuous in the female, is often exceedingly ornamental 

 in the. male ; its feathered palpi, combined with the 

 feathered antenna, forming a most beautiful cluster of 

 plumes upon the bead (PL XIV., fig. 1). But, while the 

 apparently simple, needle-like proboscis of the female 

 (see fig. 70, p. 340, and PL XIV., fig. 1, b) is less likely 

 to attract the eye than are the showy plumes of her more 

 warlike-looking mate, hers is the weapon with which 

 we are but too well acquainted in action- This little 

 needle, finer than any hair, consists of a long tubular 

 sheath, which, enclosing and guarding five minute 

 lancets, serves also as a sucker to draw up blood from 

 the vessels pierced by these instruments. These delicate 

 but efficient little serrated lancets are either wanting in 

 the male, or are much less fully developed, and the 

 female alone is bloodthirsty. So also is she alone 

 musical, and musical only at her most bloodthirsty 

 times ; and the trumpet which we hear in the dead of 

 night sounding the attack is the instrument of this 

 amazon, and seldom gives a false alarm. 



The swelling and irritation which follow the bite of 

 a Gnat are accounted for by supposing that she injects 



