158 CONVERSATIONS ON 



" They are hatched in a few days, and then 

 the boat of empty eggs floats about until it is 

 destroyed by the weather. And to show you 

 how good a boat it is, I will tell you what a 

 gentleman did to prove it. Mr. Kirby, who is 

 very fond of natural history, and has written 

 a great deal about insects, says that he put 

 half a dozen of these gnat-boats in a tumbler 

 half full of water, and then poured upon 

 them a stream from the mouth of a quart 

 bottle, held up a foot above them, and he could 

 not sink them. More than that, the water 

 would not stay in them. If you push one to 

 the bottom with your finger, it will come 

 up to the top directly, and you cannot see any 

 water in it." 



" Why, this is a noble boat, Uncle Philip, 

 that will never sink." 



" True, boys ; but listen, and you will find 

 that before it can use its wings the gnat has 

 to sail in another boat still, much more dan- 

 gerous than this is. After it is hatched, it has 

 to pass through several shapes before it gets 

 to be such an insect as you see. Here is a 

 picture which will show you its different 

 shapes. 



