benedict ORGANIZING A FIELD TRIP 127 



4. Put a living frog in your mason-jar to take back with you. 

 When you reach home put flies in with the frog and then 

 you can plainly discover how it gets its prev. 



B. Animals that run on the water. 



Examine the surface of the pond to see whether there are any insects 

 present that stand on and run over the water on long legs. 

 Water- st riders. 



1 . How do they get away from you ? 



2. Can they see you? Do thev have eyes? 



3 . How many legs do they run on ? 



4. They catch and hold smaller insects and suck their blood. 



Can you see one do this ? 



C. Animals swimming in the water. 



1. Can you see any fish"' How do they capture insects and worms? 



2. Are there any "whirligig beetles" swimming in circles on the 



surface of the water? 



3. Does their body rest on the water or do they stand on their 



legs as did the water-striders? 



4. Catch one and note the odor. Do you understand why thev 



are not bothered much by enemies' 



D. Animals that crawl on submerged leaves. 



Lift leaves and water plants out of the water and examine them care- 

 fully for small animals. Find the following kinds: 



1. Water-Armadillos — flattish, segmented' animals with feelers 



and hard bodies. 



2. Snails — have a coiled horny shell. Can thev pull their bodies 



entirely within this shell when frightened? 



3. Water-Fleas — these are very small active animals with jointed 



legs. In order to see them plainly you must place a num- 

 'ber of leaves and water plants in your mason-jar and fill it 

 two-thirds full of water scooped from the pond. Screw' the 

 lid on tightly. Look through the glass after the water has 

 begun to clear, holding the jar as steady as possible, and 

 see how many kinds of water-fleas are swimming around in 

 it. Find at least two kinds — 



1. One with an arched back which swims so fast that it seems 



to dart, and which often swims upside down — fresh- 

 water shrimp. 



2. One that looks a little like a very minute three-leaf-clover. 



which moves by little jerks — this is the female Cyclops 



so called because it has but one eye. The two oval parts 



on each side of the longer central part are clusters of 



eggs which the mother Cyclops carries with her for safe 



keeping. 



Take the mason-jar back to the schoolroom or your home as 



these little animals will live for months and you can watch 



them at their daily work. If you keep the tops screwed on 



you will not need to add water to the jar for several weeks. 



