THE DADDY-LONG-LEGS 355 



by means of which blood is sucked from the wound. As soon 

 as the hole is pierced the gnat injects a minute drop of a clear 

 whitish fluid, in order to make the blood flow more freely; and 

 it is this fluid that gives rise to the swelling and irritation that 

 always follow the bite. 



But all gnats are not armed with this formidable weapon. 

 Only the females, indeed, can bite, for the beaks of the males are 

 not fully developed. 



When we look at a gnat through a microscope we find that it 

 is a very beautiful insect; its beak, head, body, and wings are all 

 covered with tiny scales, very much like those upon the wings of 

 a butterfly or moth. When the light falls upon these they glisten 

 with many exquisite tints, all the colours of the rainbow playing 

 over them. Thus we may fairly say that the gnat, though a 

 troublesome insect, is a very interesting and beautiful one. 



THE DADDY-LONG-LEGS (Family TlPULlD^) 



The Daddy-long-legs is in many respects only a large gnat. 



For a long time the grub of the daddy-long-legs lives under 

 the ground, like the wire-worm, and feeds upon the roots of grass 

 and corn. At times it does so much harm that a great part of 

 the corn in the flelds is quite killed by it. And whenever we see 

 a meadow with patches of grass that look dead and withered, we 

 shall probably not be wrong in saying that the daddy-long-legs 

 grub is lying hidden below. 



Farmers call this grub the " leather-jacket ", because its skin is 

 so very tough and strong. It is of a dirty-white colour, and is so 

 wrinkled that it looks as if its skin were too big for it. 



When this grub is fully grown it is about an inch and a half 

 long, and as thick as a drawing-pencil. It has a pair of strong 

 black jaws, which cut through the roots of the corn and grass 

 almost like scissors. 



In the autumn we may possibly see a daddy-long-legs laying 

 her eggs; and a very interesting sight it is. She walks about over 

 the grass until she has found a spot where the ground is soft, 



