THE GNAT AND THE TIPULA. ^i$ 



by an unduous matter, which prevents their finking ; but they are faftened 

 with a thread to the bottom, to prevent their floating away. Thus the 

 infedls, in their egg ftate, refemble a buoy fixed by an anchor. As they 

 come to maturity, they fink, and when they leave the egg as worms, they 

 creep at the bottom. They make lodgments of cement, which they (dC- 

 tcn to fome folid body at the bottom, unlcfs by accident they meet with 

 X piece of chalk, which being of a foft nature, affords opportunity of 

 finking a retreat for tbemfelves, where nothing but the claws of a cray- 

 fifh can pofTibly moleft them. The worm afterwards appears with a large 

 head, a hairy tail, mioiftened with an oily liquor, which flie ufes as a cork, 

 to fuftain her head in the air, and her tail in the water, and to tranfport her 

 from place to place ; this liquor fhe difcharges out of her mouth. The 

 gnat, in her fecond ftate, is properly a nymph, which is an entrance to 

 a new life. In the firft place fhe divefts herfelf of her fecond fkin ; in the 

 next fhe refigns her eyes, antenna, and tail, and feems to expire; but 

 from her fpoils rifes a little winged infed, whofe ftrudure is a juflobje<5t 

 of admiration. Its little head is adorned with a plume, and its whole 

 body invefted with fcales and hair. The little border of fine feathers, 

 which graces her wings, is very curious : her trunk m.ay juilly be deem- 

 ed one of Nature's mafter-pieces. It is fo very fmall, that the extremity 

 of it can fcarcely be difcerned through the beft microfcope. That part 

 which appears is but a long fcaly fheath under the throat. At near the 

 diftance of two thirds of it is an aperture, through which the infed darts 

 four flings ; one of which is the cafe in which the other three lie con- 

 cealed, and run in a long groove. Their fides are fnarpened like two- 

 edged fwords ; they arc barbed, and have a vaft number of cut- 

 ting teeth toward the point, which turns up like a hook, and is furprifino- 

 ly fine. Thefe darts ftruck into the flefh of animals, fometimes one af- 

 ter another, fometimes ail at once, extri.vafate the blood and humours. 

 When the gnat, by the point of her cafe, which fhe ufes as a tongue, 

 hastafled any fruit, flefh, or juice, if it be fluid, fhe fucks it up, but 

 if folid, fhe pierces it, draws back her ftings, and by their fheath, which 

 fhe applies to the wound, extrads the juices. Winter fhe pafl~es in quar- 

 ries or caverns, which fhe abandons at fummer, and flies to fome ford, 

 or ftanding water, where fhe may produce her progeny, which would be 

 foon wafhed away by the too rapid ir»otion of any running ftream. The 

 little brood are fometimes fo numerous, that the very water is tinged ac- 

 cording to their colour. 



Very extraordinary circumflances are reported of the gnat, and indeed 

 Part VI. No, 31. 3 I ^ barely 



