700 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



entirely upon other insects, and often attacking those which are bigger and apparently stronger 

 than themselves. The eggs are laid underground, and the grubs, which are entirely subter- 

 ranean in their habits, feed upon decomposing vegetable matter. When fully fed, they burrow 

 still deeper into the ground, and there change into pupjE, from which the perfect insects emerge 

 about a fortnight later. In the common English species the body is shining black, and the legs 

 are )-eUo\v, while the transparent wings arc marked with brown spots, which generally form 

 three broken transx'erse bands. The insect is about half an inch in length. 



Certain allied insects have \'ery slender bodies and long legs, and might easily be mistaken 

 for " dadd\'-long-legs " by any one who failed to notice the presence of two pairs of wings. A 

 species found in Southern Europe is reddish }'ellow in colour, with a brown thorax and yellowish 

 wings. It has a curious habit of suspending itself from a twig by its fore legs, and seizing any 

 flying insect which may come within reach with the middle and hinder pairs. 



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A])ULT FORM OF ANT-LION 



The griih of t!ih insect Ihvei in small pid in sandy places^ and ft-eds upon (lie ants^ etc., ivldeli roll doiun the sloping' sides 



Allied to the foregoing is the extraordinary little snow-insect, which makes its appear- 

 ance in mid-winter, and may e\en be found crawling on the surface of snow. In general 

 appearance it is not unlike a larval grasshopper, with very long, slender legs, and antenna; 

 of about the same length as the body. There is also a well-developed beak. The wings are 

 quite rudimentary in the female, while even in the male they are so short as to be perfectly 

 useless for flight. The insect is remarkably active, nevertheless, and possesses the power of 

 leaping, although the hinder thighs are not developed in any great degree. In colour it is 

 metallic green, with the beak, antenna;, legs, wings, and ovipositor rusty red. It is not 

 uncommon in the north of luTgland and Scotland. 



Far more generally distributed is the LacewinG-FLY, or GOLDEN-EYE, which may be 

 seen almost anywhere on warm summer evenings flitting slowly to and fro in the twilight. 

 During the daytime it may often be found resting upon fences, or sitting on the leaves of low 



