S04 



C U L I C I F O R M E S. 



not abound. It has been considered by Isidore of 

 Seville, that the name is a contraction of " Cutilcx, 

 quod cutem laciat," an ingenious supposition, and one 

 fully confirmed by the habits of the species. Never- 

 theless, this thirst for blood is exhibited only by the 

 female ; and in default of this fluid, this sex, as well 

 as the males, content themselves with the honey of 

 flowers. It would seem, also, that all the species are 

 not similarly obnoxious, since Linnaeus affirms that 

 Anopheles bifurcatus does not prick with its pro- 

 boscis. These insects seldom appear by day, except 

 in dark woods, seemingly affected by the sun's rays. 

 At twilight, however, they sally forth to pursue their 

 blood-thirsty operations, and it is at this period that 

 they assemble in swarms in the air for the purpose of 

 .coupling. Shortly afterwards, the females deposit 

 their eggs in a very remarkable manner. The larvae 

 are destined to live in the water. The gnat is an 

 aerial being. Taking its station, therefore, at the 

 extremity of some floating leaf, the female deposits 

 her eggs, one by one, attaching them together, and 

 forming them, with the assistance of her hind legs, 

 into a curiously contrived boat-like mass, which floats 

 upon the surface of the water. These eggs hatch in 

 the course of a couple of days. The larva? con- 

 siderably resemble those of some other Ncmocera 

 having aquatic larvae (see CHIEONOMUS), differing, 

 however, in several respects. The body is long, and 

 furnished at the sides with long hairs ; the head 

 distinct and rounded, with two long ciliated jaws, 

 which are kept in continual motion, serving for 

 producing a current of water, which brings various 

 small floating particles in contact with the mouth, 

 which serve for the food of the larva ; the mouth is 

 also furnished with two long palpi, ornamented with 

 whorls of hairs, and, with these exceptions, the body 

 possesses no other distinct organs for locomotion ; 

 the last joint of the body is elongated, and furnished 

 on one side with a long tube, placed at an angle, and 

 enclosing a breathing apparatus. The extremity of 

 this tube, and of the tail itself, is ornamented with a 

 coronet of hairs, coated with an oily matter, and 

 serving to repel the water ; hence, when the larva 

 takes its station at the surface of the water, for the 

 purpose of obtaining a fresh supply of air, these hairs 

 expanding, serve as a kind of buoy for retaining the 

 insect in such position. These larva? are small semi- 

 transparent animals, which may be seen throughout 

 the summer in ditches, or other standing water, jerking 

 about with much rapidity. When the larva wishes 

 to descend, it contracts the hairs of the buoys above 

 mentioned, enclosing a bubble of air for future use in 

 respiration. They are transformed into pupae in about 

 fifteen days ; the front, or thoracic part of the body, 

 is now thickened, and exhibits beneath the rudiments 

 of legs and wings, enclosed in a general covering, and 

 the hind part of the body curved towards the breast ; 

 instead of the posterior tube of the larva, its external 

 breathing apparatus now consists of two anterior small 

 horns, like those of the pupa of the chironomus. It 

 jerks about in the water with much agility by the assist- 

 ance of two small swimmerets, or little oars, at the 

 extremity of the body, and two long hairs. 



But, -how is this aquatic animal, unprovided with 

 legs or wings, able to creep along the sides of the 

 bank, or up the stem of any growing plant, to escape 

 out of the midst of, the water, casting off a form which 

 it could not live with in the air, and assuming one 

 which would be destroyed if it remained in the water? 



This question would puzzle any person but a na- 

 turalist. The pupa, rising to the surface at the period 

 when it wishes to cast off its pupa skin, elevates the 

 front part of the thorax above the level of the water, 

 when instantly, by swelling the exposed part, the 

 skin bursts, and the head of the gnat appears, followed 

 by the thorax, which, from its increased size, enlarges 

 the slit, so as to allow the rest of the body to follow 

 with greater ease. At this critical period, the old 

 skin of the pupa, which is of course now hollow in 

 some places, serves as a support ; in fact, it becomes 

 in every sense a life-boat to the little animal. " The 

 observer, who sees how the little boat gradually sinks, 

 and how its margin approaches the water, forgets the 

 mischievous insect it contains, which, at another 

 time, he would crush without remorse, and becomes 

 interested for its fate, especially should wind agitate 

 the water. If it should upset, it would be all over 

 with it, and numbers do thus perish. The gnat, 

 after having fixed itself thus perpendicularly, draws 

 Jirst its two anterior legs out of their case *, and moves 

 them forward, and next the two intermediate ones ; 

 then, inclining itself towards the water, it rests itself 

 upon it ; for water is to them a soil sufficiently firm 

 and solid for support, although surcharged with 

 the weight of the insects ; for, as soon as it is thus 

 upon the water, it is in safety, its wings unfold them- 

 selves, and are dried, and it flies away. This is the 

 work of an instant." Introduct. to Ent. vol. iii. 288. 



Culex pipiens, female, natural size, and magnified, with the 

 head of the male. 



The genera belonging to this family are Anopheles, 

 Cnlex, and (Edcs, founded chiefly upon the length of 

 the palpi, together with Sahethes and Mrgarhina. 

 The two first only are British. There are about 

 twenty British species belonging to the genus Culex 

 (including the type C. pipiens, Linnaeus), and four 

 belonging to Anopheles. 



CULfCIFORMES(Latr.) A division of dipterous 

 insects, belonging to the section Nemoccra, and family 

 TipulidcE, and comprising many minute species, gene- 

 rally called midges, having, as the name implies, great 

 resemblance with the insects composing the family 

 Culicidee, or true gnats, but differing from them, iu 

 wanting 1 a long and exserted proboscis, the mouth 

 consisting only of two short dilated fleshy lips, and a 

 pair of short palpi. The antennae are much orna- 

 mented with whorls of hair, which, in the males, arc 

 often as long as the entire antennas, and form beauti- 

 ful object*. The ocelli are wanting, and the eyes are 

 crescent-shaped ; the body is long, and the legs 

 slender, the tibiae not being spincd at the extremity. 

 Here belong the genera Tamfpiis, Chironomus (which 



* A recent writer has criticised the authors from whence we 

 have extracted this passage, stating, that Kirby and Spence, 

 tit/ mistake, say It draws these out of their case. (Ins. Miscall, 

 p. 19.) H^d he been aware that the legs of dipterous insects 

 are inclosed in distinct cases, although sometimes closely applied 

 to the body, he would not have been so rash. Compare Swam- 

 mcrdaru, pi, 31, fig. f>, d, and pi. 41, fie:. 4. d. 



