136 



INSECT LIFE. 



cardboard points. Copy the following labels, and 

 arrange your specimens under them : — 



Order Diptera (Dip'te-ra). 



The Flies. 



Family Culicid^ (Cu-lic'i-dae). 



The Mosquitoes. 



Write up the life history of a mosquito, and place 

 specimens of the eggs, larvae, and pupae in alcohol in 

 your collection with the adults. 



INSECTS THAT REST AT THE BOTTOM. 



As a rule, it is rather difficult to watch in the 

 field the habits of insects that live at the bottom of 

 ponds; but in most cases these insects can be kept 

 in aquaria, and there studied without difficulty. 

 By searching ponds or the quiet portions of streams, 

 some of these insects may be seen crawling over 

 the bottom, and can then be taken with the hand. 

 But a more rapid way of collecting them is by 

 sweeping the bottom of the pond and submerged 

 plants with an insect net. If the work outlined in 

 the preceding pages has been carried out, it is more 

 than probable that some of these insects are al- 

 ready in your aquaria. If not, seek for them in the 

 field. 



The Habits of Water-boatmen {School Work). — 

 These are oval, gray and black, mottled bugs, usually 

 less than half an inch in length ; they occur in the 

 streams, ponds, and lakes of the whole United States. 

 The characteristic form and markings of these in- 

 sects are shown in Fig. 112. Very little difficulty 

 will be had in finding these insects in almost any lo- 



