. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. 37(3 THE WHIRLIGIGS. In the Water Beetles, tlie spiracles are set rather high, so as to be covered by the hollowed elytra, and to be capable of breathing the air under those organs. When, therefore, the Beetle dives, it is in noways distressed for want of air, as it carries a tolerable supply beneath the elytra. When, however, that supply is exhausted, the beetle rises to the surface, just pushes the ends of the elytra out of the water, takes in a fresh supply of air and again seeks its
. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. 37(3 THE WHIRLIGIGS. In the Water Beetles, tlie spiracles are set rather high, so as to be covered by the hollowed elytra, and to be capable of breathing the air under those organs. When, therefore, the Beetle dives, it is in noways distressed for want of air, as it carries a tolerable supply beneath the elytra. When, however, that supply is exhausted, the beetle rises to the surface, just pushes the ends of the elytra out of the water, takes in a fresh supply of air and again seeks its subaquatic haunts. Any one may see in almost any ditch the Great Water Beetle {Dyticus d/midiafus), ever and anon rising to the surface, poking its tail out of the water, and then diving to the bed of tlie stream. Towards evening, this, in common with many other Water Beetles, is accustomed to leave the streams, to spread its wide wings, and to soar into the air. In the early morning it again seeks its watery home, and is accustomed to save time and exertion by closing its wings and dropping like a stone as soon as it perceives the water below. The larva of the Dyticus is a ^f'l^^'iljf^^^. U^^M- ^^1^ M ;5^;;. (Larva.) (Male.) GREAT WATER BEETLE. -Pytirus dlfiiiUiafvfi. (Female u itli egg-sac.) terribly ferocious creature, both in aspect and character. It inhabits the waters, and is a very hyena in the terrible grasp and power of its jaws. The perfect insect is quite as voracious, and when a number are kept in a single vessel, they are sure to attack and kill each other. No one who cares for the animated inhabitants of his aquarium should permit a Dyticus to be placed among them, as a fox makes no more havoc in achicken-roost than a Dyticus in an aquarium. A smaller species is called Ilyhius afer. To this group belong the Wiiirlwig Beetles, or Gyrinid^, so plentiful on the surface of many rivers and ponds, but always choosing a still spot, where they are overshadowed by th
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbr, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology
