7OO The Living Animals of the World 



entirely upon other insects, and often attacking those which are bigger and apparently stronger 

 than themselves. The eggs are laid underground, and the grubs, which are entirely 

 subterranean in their habits, feed upon decomposing vegetable matter. When fully fed, they 

 burrow still deeper into the ground, and there change into pupae, from which the perfect insects 

 emerge about a fortnight later. In the common English species the body is shining black, 

 and the legs are yellow, while the transparent wings are marked with brown spots, which 

 generally form three broken transverse bands. The insect is about half an inch in length. 



Certain allied insects have very slender bodies and long legs, and might easily be mistaken 

 for " daddy-long-legs " by any one who failed to notice the presence of two pairs of wings. A 

 species found in Southern Europe is reddish yellow in colour, with a brown thorax and yellowish 

 wings. It has a curious habit of suspending itself from a twig by its fore legs, and seizing 

 any flying insect which may come within reach with the middle and hinder pairs. 



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Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.] [Regent's Park. 



ADULT FORM OP ANT-LION. 



The grub of this insect lives in small pits in sandy places, and feeds upon the ants, etc. , which roll down the sloping sides. 



Allied to the foregoing is the extraordinary little snow-insect, which makes its appear- 

 ance in mid-winter, and may even be found crawling on the surface of snow. In general 

 appearance it is not unlike a larval grasshopper, with very long, slender legs, and antennae 

 of about the same length as the body. There is also a well-developed beak. The wings are 

 quite rudimentary in the female, while even in the male they are so short as to be perfectly 

 useless for flight. The insect is remarkably active, nevertheless, and possesses the power of 

 leaping, although the hinder thighs are not developed in any great degree. In colour it is 

 metallic green, with the beak, antennae, legs, wings, and ovipositor rusty red. It is not 

 uncommon in the north of England and Scotland. 



Far more generally distributed is the LACEWING-FLY, or GOLDEN-EYE, which may be 

 seen almost anywhere on warm summer evenings flitting slowly to and fro in the twilight. 

 During the daytime it may often be found resting upon fences, or sitting on the leaves of low 



