GROWTH OF INSECTS. 



that they will all swim on the surface of the water ; and 

 a very curious way she has of managing this. 



Like other insects, the gnat has six legs. Four of 

 these (the four fore-legs) she fastens to a floating leaf, 

 or to the side of a bucket, if she is on the water con- 

 tained in one. Her body is thus held level with 

 the water, except the last ring of her abdomen, 

 which is a little raised. This being done, she begins 

 to make use of her other two legs, (or hind legs) and 

 crosses them in the shape of the letter X. The open 

 part of this X, next to her tail, serves as a kind of 

 scaffolding, to support the eggs she lays, until the boat 

 is formed. Eaca egg, when laid, is covered with a 

 kind of glue ; and the gnat holds the first laid egg in 

 the angle of the X until the second egg is laid by its 

 side, and glued to it ; she then glues another egg to its 

 other side. All these stick together thus ***, making 

 a kind of triangle, or figure of three, and this is the 

 beginning of the boat. Thus she goes on, piling egg 

 upon egg, always keeping the boat in proper shape by 

 her useful hind-legs. As the boat grows in size she 

 pushes it from her by degrees, still adding to the un- 

 finished end next to her body. When the boat is half- 

 built, her hind-legs are stretched out thus =, the X or 

 cross form is no longer wanted, and she holds up the 

 boat as cleverly as if it was done with two out-stretched 

 arms. 



The boat is at length completed, and an excellent 

 boat it is, quite water tight. For though it is very 

 small and delicate, yet no tossing of the waves will 

 sink it ; and nothing can fill it with water, or turn it 

 upside down. In fact, the glue with which it is 

 covered prevents it from ever being wet. Even if the 

 boat be pushed down to the bottom of the water, up it 

 comes again quite dry : so that it is better than the 

 best life-boat that has ever yet been invented ( l ). 



(1) Working Man's Companion, Cottage Evenings, p. 54. 



