. Fresh-water aquaria: their construction, arrangement, and management, with full information as to the best water-plants and live stock to be kept, how and where to obtain them, and how to keep them in health. Aquariums. 236 PEESH-WATEE AQTTAEIA. those of its relatives, and while in confinement it should be treated in the same way. The best known, bnt perhaps not the commonest, member of the family Notonectidce is Notonecta glauca (Fig. 149), or Water-Boatman. This curious and interesting insect may very frequently be observed floating upon its back, with its oar-like legs extending at right
. Fresh-water aquaria: their construction, arrangement, and management, with full information as to the best water-plants and live stock to be kept, how and where to obtain them, and how to keep them in health. Aquariums. 236 PEESH-WATEE AQTTAEIA. those of its relatives, and while in confinement it should be treated in the same way. The best known, bnt perhaps not the commonest, member of the family Notonectidce is Notonecta glauca (Fig. 149), or Water-Boatman. This curious and interesting insect may very frequently be observed floating upon its back, with its oar-like legs extending at right angles to its body, just below the surface of nearly every pond or ditch. It is a little more than fin. long; its body is convex and slightly keeled above and flat below, and its prevailing colour is yellow, with the exception of a black mark in the shape of a triangle upon the back; this black triangle is the scuteUum. N. glauca has a broad head, very bold-looking eyes, four-jointed antennae, and the tibia and tarsi of the hind-legs very flat and fringed on both sides with a kiad of hair. The crea- ture's fore-legs are raptorial, and its beak is so sharp and strong that it is able to inflict quite a painful wound on the human hand. The eyesight of the FIG. U9. Water-Boatman Water-Boatman is very (Notonecta gladca). acute, and he will dive quickly to the bottom of the pond or ditch directly his would-be captor puts forth his net to take him. This insect looks well in the aquarium, for it is very lively and an expert swimmer. It always swims upon its back, and as it dives beneath the water it takes with it a store of air entangled in the hair with which parts of its body are covered. The air under these circumstances has somewhat the appearance of quicksilver, and makes the insect very attractive as he darts to and fro among the weeds of a well-arranged tank. But beauty, activity, and method of respiration, are about all that can be said in its favour; for it is extremely predac
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectaquariu, bookyear1890
