94 THE STUDY OF ANIMAL LIFE 



a fully-authenticated account, given in The Story 

 of Insect Life (CuUey). 



Among the many insects I have watched in 

 their flight, none puzzle me so much as what I will 

 call vertical and horizontal flying Gnats. Just 

 watch the common rough Gnat when a number of 

 them are dancing up and down, say about a foot 

 in depth. They return from top to bottom, and 

 from bottom to top, as if they were rebounding 

 top and bottom. How i^ this done ? 



Still more wonderful is the flight of a smaller 

 Gnat, about a quarter of an inch in length. This 

 insect shakes in flight from side to side, something 

 like when one has seen a child putting a piece of 

 stick into the fire, and when the point becomes 

 red-hot, pulling it out, and quickly moving from 

 side to side. How can this small creature execute 

 this rapid and peculiar movement ? 



One sometimes wonders how Butterflies, and 

 many other insects which have four wings, can 

 use them so rapidly and freely without damaging 

 the plumage. In this part of flight there is a 

 beautiful arrangement of hooks, pads, and stiff 

 scales, which prevent the abrasion of the wings. 



During daylight, and especially during sun- 

 shine, we see before us a great part of the insect 

 world, but only a part, as there is a numerous host 

 which shun the glare of day. Like the votaries of 

 fashion, they rise not from their couch until their 



