300 



THE MICROSCOPE. 



closely folded over its head, like a kind of mask, till it sees its prey. 

 When it does, it creeps softly along till it is sufficiently near, and then 

 darts out those long, arm-like jaws, and seizing the insect it had 

 marked, conveys it to its mouth. When the dragon-fly emerges from 



fig. 134. Head and Wing of Culex pipiens, Female Gnat. 



1. Head of Female Gnat, detached from the bodj-. 2. Wing. 3. A Scale from the 

 Proboscis. 4. The Proboscis and Lancets. The reticulation on each side of the 

 head shows the space occupied by the eyes. The small circles enclose the objects 

 of natural size. The feather or scale from proboscis 250 diameters. 



its pupa-case, it places itself on the brink of the pond, or on the leaf 

 of some water-plant which is sufficiently strong to bear its weight, and 

 there it divests itself of its pupa-case. When the insect first appears, 

 it has two very small wings ; these gradually swell out, the veins fill 



