138 NATURAL HISTORY. 
faftain her head in the air, and her tail in the water, and to tranfport 
her from one place to another. When the oil with which her tail is 
moiftened begins to grow dry, fhe difcharges out of her mouth af 
unétuous humour, which the fheds all over her tail, by virtue whereof 
fhe is enabled to tranfport herfelf where the pleafes, without being 
either wet or any ways incommoded by the water. The gnat, in het 
fecond flate, is properly fpeaking, in her form of a nymph, which is 
an introduction, or entrance into a new life. In the fir place, fhe 
diveits herfelf of her fecond fkin; in the next fhe refigns her eyes, her 
antenne, and her tail; in fhort, fhe a@ually feems to expire, How? 
ever, from the fpoils of the amphibious animal, a little winged infec 
cuts the air, whofe every part is active to the lat degree, and whole 
whole ftrudture is the juft object of our admiration. Its little head is 
adorned with a plume of feathers, and its whole body invefted wi 
fcales and hair, to fecure it from any wet or dufts She makes trial 0 
the activity of her wings, by rubbing them either againft her body, of 
her broad fide bags, which keep her in an equilibrium. The furbelows 
or little border of fine feathers, which graces her wings is very curiouss 
and ftrikes the eye in the moft agreeable manner. There is nothings 
however, of greater importance to the gnat, than her trunk, and that 
weak implement may jultly be deemed one of Nature’s mafter. pieces: 
It is fo very {mall, that the exiremity of it can fearcely be difcerned 
through the beft microfeope that can be procured. That part which is at 
firft obvious to the eye, is nothing but a long fcaly fheath under the throat 
. At near the diftance of two-thirds of it, there is an aperture, throug! 
which the infect darts out four ftings, and afterwards retraé@s them- 
One of which, however fharp and aétive it may be, is no more than thé 
eafe in which the other three lie concealed, and run ina long grooves 
The fides of thefe ftings are {harpened like two.edged {words they até 
likewife barbed, and have a vaft number of cutting teeth towards thé 
point, which turns up like a hook, and is fine beyond expreflion, Whe? 
all thefe darts are ftuck into the flefh of animals, fometimes one after 4° 
wother, and fometimes all at once, the blood and humours of the 2d 
jacent parts muft unavoidably be extravafated ; upon which a tumou* 
mult confequently enfue, the little orifice whereof is clofed up by thé 
compreffion of the external air. When the gnat, by the point of bef 
eafe, which fhe makes ufe of as a tongue, has tafted any fruit, flefhs 
or juice, that fhe has found out ; if it be a Auid, fhe fucks it up, with- 
_ out playing her darts into it; but in cafe fhe finds the leaft obftruatio# 
_ by any Heth whatever, fhe exerts her ftrength, and pierces through ity 
if poflibly the can. After this fhe draws back her ftings into theif 
fheath, which fhe applies to the wound in order to extra@, as throug 
a reed, the juices which the finds inclofed. This is the implement 
with which the gnat performs her work in the fammer, for during t® 
winter fhe has no manner of occafion for it. Then the ceafes to e4 
and fpends all that tedious feafon either in quarries or in caverD® 
which the abandons at the return of fummer, and flies about in fearc® 
after fome commodious ford, or ftanding water, where fhe may pr 
duce her progeny, which would be foon wathed away and loft, by the 
too rapid motion of any running ftream. The little brood are foM® 
times fo numerous, that the very water is Unged according pee 
: a 6o. 
