. Natural history; or, Uncle Philip's conversations with the children about tools and trades among inferior animals . e this boat made, you must go NATURAL HISTORY. 155 early in the morning, between five and sixoclock, to a bucket, or pond of stagnantwater, where gnats are to be found: if yougo later you will not see it. The gnats eggsare shaped something like a pocket powder-flask, and it is by putting a great many ofthese together that she makes the boat. Todo this, the mother gnat stands by her fore-legs upon the side of the bucket, or on aleaf or stick in the pond, and her body is ona leve
. Natural history; or, Uncle Philip's conversations with the children about tools and trades among inferior animals . e this boat made, you must go NATURAL HISTORY. 155 early in the morning, between five and sixoclock, to a bucket, or pond of stagnantwater, where gnats are to be found: if yougo later you will not see it. The gnats eggsare shaped something like a pocket powder-flask, and it is by putting a great many ofthese together that she makes the boat. Todo this, the mother gnat stands by her fore-legs upon the side of the bucket, or on aleaf or stick in the pond, and her body is ona level with the water, and rests upon it, ex-cept the last ring of her tail, which she little. She then crosses her two hind-legsin the shape of the letter X, and begins toput her eggs in that part of the X nearestto her body. So she brings her legs, crossedin this way, near to her body, and puts anegg in the angle, covered with a kind of glue,which will make the eggs stick together. Oneach side of the first egg she puts another inthis shape # * #, and here is a drawing of theinsect at this part of her A Gnat making her Boat of Eggs. 156 CONVERSATIONS ON She then goes on adding eggs, which areall put in the water with their ends down-wards, until she has got her boat half-finished;she then uncrosses her legs, and just keepsone on each side of the boat as she goes on,until she has completed it. And how many eggs, Uncle Philip, willshe put together in this way ? From two hundred and fifty to three hun-dred and fifty, and when all are laid theymake quite a good boat, sharp, and raised atboth ends, and floating on the water. Thenthe mother gnat leaves it. Here is a pictureof one of these boats.
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Keywords: ., bookaut, bookcentury1800, booksubjectnaturalhistory, bookyear1835
