. St. Nicholas [serial]. thus be roughly distinguished, and there are noother beetles in the United States which closely resem-ble bombardier-beetles. It is almost impossible, evenfor an experienced entomologist, to tell the species ofbombardier-beetles, so minute are the differences. Sowe young collectors have to be content with labelingthe specimens Brachymus sp. ?, if we want to usethe Latin name at all. They belong to the familyCarabida:. The shooting of the bombardier-beetles is done fordefense, and is probably very effective against smallenemies. It is said that they will shoot as much a
. St. Nicholas [serial]. thus be roughly distinguished, and there are noother beetles in the United States which closely resem-ble bombardier-beetles. It is almost impossible, evenfor an experienced entomologist, to tell the species ofbombardier-beetles, so minute are the differences. Sowe young collectors have to be content with labelingthe specimens Brachymus sp. ?, if we want to usethe Latin name at all. They belong to the familyCarabida:. The shooting of the bombardier-beetles is done fordefense, and is probably very effective against smallenemies. It is said that they will shoot as much as adozen times in succession, but I have never been ableto make them shoot more than two or three is also said that when the reservoir which containsthe liquid is opened by dissection, it effervesces andevaporates instantaneously. The beetles are not uncommon in the United States,and I wonder how many times in succession they can bemade to shoot. J. Chester Bradley. 1904.] NATURE AND SCIENCE FOR YOUNG FOLKS. 655. THE TRUE WATER-SPIDER. Not found in this country. It carries bubbles of air intoits under-the-water home. a back-swimmer not a water-spider. Worcester, St. Nicholas: Yesterday I discovered whatI suppose to be a water-spider, and found it so interest-ing I thought your readers would like to know about insect is about three fourths of an inch long andone fourth of an inch wide. It has six legs and usesbut two when swimming. It swims on its back. Whenthe insect finds an air bubble it puts a small tube, whichis on the end of the body, into it, takes the air, and dis-appears. Tt is very shy and soon there was not one tobe seen. Your interested reader, Helen B. Green (age 12). The water insect you saw is the back-swim-mer (Noto)iecta). In Europe there is really a water-spider thatmakes a nest on plants under water and livesthere a large part of the time, but, as far asanybody knows, there is no water-spider in thiscountry, though there are many kind
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