302 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 
entirely upon other insects, and often attacking those which are bigger and apparently stronger 
than themseh^es. 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 pupae, from which the perfect insects emerge 
about a fortnight later. In the common English species the body is shining black, and the legs 
are yellow, while the transparent wings are marked with brown spots, which generally form 
three broken transverse bands. The insect is about half an inch in length. 
Certain allied insects have very slender bodies and long legs, and might easily be mistaken 
for “daddy-long-legs ” by any one who failed to notice the presence of two pairs of wings. A 
species found in Southern Europe is reddish yellow 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. 
rhoto by ll'. Dando^ F,Z.S, 
ADULT FORM OF ANT-LION 
The grub of this insect lives in small pits in sandy places, and feeds upon the ants, etc., nuhich roll down the sloping sides 
Allied to the foregoing is the extraordinary little snow-insect, which makes its appear- 
ance in mid-winter, and may even be found crawling on the surface of snow. In general 
appearance it is not unlike a larval grasshopper, with very long, slender legs, and antennae 
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, antennae, legs, wings, and ovipositor rusty red. It is not 
uncommon in the north of England and Scotland. 
Far more generally distributed is the E.\CE\ving-FLY, or Golden-EVE, 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. 
