| Species Flies of the suborder Nematocera Pronunciation na'ts Meaning From Old English gnæt, ultimately thought to mean simply 'biting insect' Other names Small biting flies of a similar kind to midges Indexes: Alphabetical: G Animals and Plants About this entry: Updated 19 April 2020 This entry is complete Bothersome flying insects Tiny and generally harmless flies, commonly seen swarming into large clouds. Midges are often categorised as a kind of gnat, and these were found in enormous numbers in the marshlands of Middle-earth. They were so numerous in the wetlands eastward of Bree that those marshes became known as 'Midgewater'. We have fewer direct references to gnats by name, but they were sufficiently common to be spoken of in a proverbial sense. When Frodo and Sam found themselves trapped in Shelob's Lair on the borders of Mordor, Sam summed up their situation as 'gnats in a net'.1 Notes 1 The Two Towers IV 9, Shelob's Lair Indexes: Alphabetical: G Animals and Plants About this entry: Updated 19 April 2020 This entry is complete For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2000, 2017, 2020. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by Axiom Discovery aptitude and skill testing.Axiom Discovery gives you comprehensive online aptitude testing covering core skills across a wide range of disciplines. |
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