WATER SPIDERS AND MITES 69 



thorax of the adult free, than the wings, legs and abdomen 

 appear, and are rapidly drawn out of the case, and practically 

 the same moment the insect flies away, the whole transforma- 

 tion taking but one minute or even less to be completed. To 

 sit by a water-butt or pool and see hundreds of these pupas 

 changing into flies, is most fascinating. No sooner is one gone 

 than another is ready to follow, and so it goes on, and in the 

 meanwhile pupa after pupa floats towards the surface. A few 

 days later nothing but the empty black skins with their queer 

 white breathing filaments remain. The adult Chironomous in 

 appearance may certainly resemble Culex, but it is interesting 

 to know that it has not an operating set like that of the 

 gnat, in fact it is probable that neither male nor female feed 

 after their larva stage is completed. For the stomachs of dis- 

 sected specimens have always been found empty. The females 

 lay their eggs in a gelatinous envelope usually in strings. 

 These are moored to stones, &c., near to the surface of the 

 pond. 



We must now regretfully leave these graceful and interest- 

 ing Diptera, whose lives are partly spent in water, and partly in 

 the air above. 



CHAPTER V 



WATER SPIDERS AND MITES 



PERHAPS one of the most remarkable things about spiders, is 

 that they have not become extinct long ago. Their enemies 

 are numerous, both four and two-legged, and in addition 

 their numbers are much reduced owing to their cannibalistic 

 instincts. 



In fact entire families are frequently destroyed by the un- 

 natural parent, whose maternal feelings are already forgotten, 

 when her stomach craves. Later we will see that it is not 

 only the youngsters that fall a prey to the gentler sexed in- 

 dividuals, but that the male is often a victim, and pays dearly 

 for his impertinence and other faults. 



To our minds such unnatural cannibalistic instincts seem 

 heinous offences. But whatever their fanlts may be, or how 

 often he or she may break the rules of civilisation and friend- 

 ship, yet nevertheless spiders are most interest ing animals, 

 and well repay any time spent on their study. 



Unfortunately childish fables, stories of virulent poisons, 

 savage attacks on human beings, and other non-scientific 



