. Lessons in nature study. Nature study. 70 NATURE STUDY run and leap as the water-striders do, or swim ? Unlike the water-striders also, the}' occasionally dive and swim beneath the surface. How do they breathe ? Note the little silvery bubble almost always visible at the posterior tip of the body when ihe beetle is swimming underneath the surface. Examine one of the insects closely, using a magnifier. Note that it has four eyes, one pair on the lower surface ot the head, just underneath the pair on the upper surface. Note also the peculiar shape of the legs, the front pair being rather slend
. Lessons in nature study. Nature study. 70 NATURE STUDY run and leap as the water-striders do, or swim ? Unlike the water-striders also, the}' occasionally dive and swim beneath the surface. How do they breathe ? Note the little silvery bubble almost always visible at the posterior tip of the body when ihe beetle is swimming underneath the surface. Examine one of the insects closely, using a magnifier. Note that it has four eyes, one pair on the lower surface ot the head, just underneath the pair on the upper surface. Note also the peculiar shape of the legs, the front pair being rather slender and oar-like, while the hinder two pairs are short, broad and paddle-like; all are, however, adapted for swimming. In addition to the water-striders and whirligig beetles,numer- ous other smaller insects may be found on the surface of pools and ponds. Manj' small two-winged flies run about on the sur- face in search of food, and certain small sucking bugs may often be found running about on the wet shores of the pond or upon the water near the edge. Water-bugs and Water-beetles.—In the pools on the surface of which the water-striders and whirligig beetles are found, may be found certain insects which swim vigorously about in the water, coming occasionally to the surface and resting there a short time. These are the water-bugs and water-beetles. The water-beetles (fig. 43) are large, shining black, elliptical in- sects from half an inch to an inch and a half long; the water-bugs (figs. 44 and 45) are smaller,being less than half an inch long, and they are gray in general color instead of black. Each of these water- bugs and water-beetles has three pairs of legs, of which one pair is usually especially long and flattened, so as to be oar-like. They have wings, which are kept closely. Fig. 43 beetle (Hydrol>hilui) V/ iiter-^ca-veuger. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and
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