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across, not much thicker than paper, and of 

 a whitish colour : it has, too, a keel or ridge 

 upon each side. When it wishes to sail, it 

 stretches upwards two of its legs : these have 

 a very thin skin at the end, which the nau- 

 tilus spreads out for sails, and the other legs 

 hang over on each side of the shell for oars 

 or rudders. When the sea is calm, a great 

 many of them may be seen playing about ; 

 but as soon as a storm arises, or they are dis- 

 turbed, they take in their sails and sink to 

 the bottom. But, boys, the most curious boat 

 that I know, made by one of the dumb crea- 

 tures, is the work of the little insect that 

 played the doctor the other day, and stuck 

 his lancet into us. Do you remember what 

 insect that was ?" 



" Oh yes, very well, Uncle Philip, it was the 

 gnat." 



" True, boys, it was the gnat, which is an 

 insect that spends the first part of its life in 

 the water, and the latter part in the air. 

 The grub of the gnat lives in water, and I 

 will give you the whole history of this cu- 

 rious insect. We will first speak of the eggs, 

 for out of these it is that the boat is made. 

 In order to see this boat made, you must go 



