﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  STATE 
  ENTOMOLOGIST 
  333 
  

  

  The 
  individual 
  egg 
  is 
  of 
  an 
  elongate-oval 
  form, 
  rather 
  pointed 
  at 
  the 
  

   upper 
  end, 
  broader 
  at 
  the 
  lower. 
  The}^ 
  are 
  deposited 
  in 
  a 
  mass, 
  on 
  the 
  

   surface 
  of 
  the 
  water, 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  somewhat 
  of 
  a 
  boat, 
  and 
  left 
  to 
  float 
  

   freely 
  about. 
  The 
  little 
  egg-boat, 
  not 
  exceeding 
  a 
  tenth 
  of 
  an 
  inch 
  in 
  

   length, 
  yet 
  bearing 
  nearly 
  a 
  hundred 
  lives, 
  is 
  built 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  

   manner 
  : 
  The 
  insect 
  takes 
  her 
  position 
  on 
  some 
  object 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  — 
  a 
  

   floating 
  leaf 
  or 
  stick 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  — 
  holding 
  to 
  it 
  by 
  her 
  anterior 
  legs, 
  while 
  

   her 
  long 
  abdomen 
  rests 
  on 
  the 
  water 
  with 
  its 
  tip 
  slightly 
  elevated. 
  

   Crossing 
  her 
  posterior 
  pair 
  of 
  legs 
  (which 
  are 
  much 
  longer 
  than 
  her 
  body) 
  

   behind 
  her 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  an 
  x, 
  she 
  places 
  an 
  egg 
  in 
  a 
  perpendicular 
  

   position 
  at 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  crossing 
  — 
  the 
  inner 
  point, 
  nearest 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  her 
  

   abdomen 
  : 
  this 
  forms 
  the 
  keel 
  of 
  the 
  boat. 
  To 
  this 
  two 
  eggs 
  are 
  next 
  

   attached 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  triangle. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  coated 
  with 
  a 
  

   glutinous 
  matter, 
  causing 
  them 
  to 
  adhere 
  closely 
  and 
  firmly 
  to 
  one 
  

   another. 
  Successive 
  additions 
  are 
  made 
  to 
  these 
  in 
  a 
  gradually 
  enlarging 
  

   outline, 
  as 
  regulated 
  by 
  the 
  angle 
  or 
  curve 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  legs. 
  When 
  

   the 
  boat 
  is 
  about 
  half 
  built, 
  the 
  legs 
  are 
  uncrossed 
  and 
  placed 
  side 
  by 
  

   side 
  underneath 
  for 
  better 
  support, 
  and 
  in 
  this 
  position 
  the 
  remaining 
  

   portion 
  of 
  the 
  boat 
  is 
  completed 
  in 
  a 
  symmetrical 
  form, 
  although 
  

   unaided 
  by 
  the 
  eye 
  and 
  only 
  guided 
  by 
  the 
  delicacy 
  of 
  touch. 
  When 
  

   finished, 
  the 
  supporting 
  legs 
  are 
  withdrawn, 
  and 
  the 
  tiny 
  craft 
  is 
  launched, 
  

   and 
  left 
  to 
  be 
  driven 
  about 
  hither 
  and 
  thither 
  by 
  the 
  winds, 
  yet 
  ever 
  

   drifting 
  securely, 
  without 
  the 
  slightest 
  risk 
  of 
  sinking 
  to 
  the 
  bottom 
  or 
  of 
  

   being 
  overturned. 
  For 
  experiment's 
  sake, 
  you 
  may 
  place 
  one 
  in 
  a 
  basin 
  

   of 
  water 
  and 
  pour 
  gallons 
  of 
  water 
  on 
  it, 
  without 
  being 
  able 
  to 
  overturn 
  

   it. 
  You 
  may 
  even 
  thrust 
  it 
  by 
  force 
  to 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  vessel, 
  whence, 
  

   as 
  soon 
  as 
  released, 
  it 
  will 
  rise 
  to 
  the 
  surface, 
  right 
  side 
  up 
  and 
  not 
  hold- 
  

   ing 
  in 
  its 
  concavity 
  a 
  particle 
  of 
  fluid. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  veritable 
  life-boat. 
  

  

  The 
  Larval 
  Mosquito. 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  hatch 
  ordinarily 
  in 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  three 
  days, 
  dependent, 
  of 
  

   course, 
  on 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  water. 
  The 
  larvae 
  that 
  they 
  produce 
  

   are 
  familiar 
  to 
  all 
  who 
  have 
  been 
  in 
  the 
  habit 
  of 
  using 
  rain-water 
  during 
  

   the 
  spring 
  or 
  summer 
  months 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  exposed 
  to 
  the 
  open 
  air 
  

   for 
  a 
  few 
  days. 
  Children 
  living 
  in 
  the 
  country 
  often 
  know 
  them 
  under 
  

   the 
  appropriate 
  names 
  of 
  '^ 
  wigglers 
  " 
  or 
  "wrigglers," 
  drawn 
  from 
  their 
  

   peculiar 
  jerking 
  motions 
  as 
  they 
  come 
  to 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  to 
  

   draw 
  in 
  a 
  supply 
  of 
  air 
  and 
  to 
  hang 
  motionless, 
  head 
  downward, 
  for 
  

   awhile, 
  or 
  with 
  the 
  same 
  motion 
  descend 
  to 
  the 
  bottom 
  to 
  feed. 
  They 
  

   have 
  a 
  distinct 
  rounded 
  head 
  with 
  mouth-parts, 
  antennae 
  and 
  cihated 
  ap- 
  

  

  