112 NATURAL HISTORY OF AQUATIC INSFXTS cu. 



of a current of air, but this explanation has its 

 difficulties. 



The female Gnat lays her eggs on the surface of 

 stagnant water, and the operation of egg- laying has 

 been carefully described by Reaumur. The Gnat 

 supports her body upon the four front legs, which 

 rest upon the margin of the pool or upon any floating 

 object. The long hind legs are crossed, and in the 

 angle between them the eggs are received as they 

 pass one by one from the end of the abdomen. At 

 this time they are sticky and adhere to one another. 

 As the mass of eggs increases in size, the hind legs 

 alter their position and become more and more 

 parallel to one another. The operation of egg-laying 

 takes place in the early hours of summer days. 



The egg-raft of the Gnat, though one of the 

 commonest objects in Nature, is apt to escape our 

 notice on account of its minute size, for it is less than 



Fig. 30. — I, egg-raft of Gnat, from Reaumur; 2, a single egg; 3, egg removed 

 from ovary, with bladder-like appendage ; 4, end view of the appendage, showing 

 radiating lines. 



a quarter of an inch in length. It was beautifully 

 described 150 years ago by Reaumur. The eggs of 

 the Gnat are cigar-shaped, and 250 or 300 of them 



