137 



dragon-fly n3"mplis there will be cad dice- worm cases like tiny cob- 



liouses, water- boatmen, back- 



swinnners, and giant water-bugs."^ 



These are insects characteristic of 



still or sluggish water, and are 



found in spring and summer. 



The insects which skip lightly 

 over the surface of the water 

 where the current is not too 

 strong, are water-striders. (See 

 Fig. 89.) Some are short and ^^.— Water-striders have long, tJiin legs. 



stout, others slender-bodied ; but all have 



long, thin legs. Their color is nearly black. 



As they scurry about in the sunsliine the 



delighted watcher will sometimes catch a 



glimpse of their reflections on the bottom. 



Six oval bits of shadow, outlined by rims of 



light ; there is nothing else like it ! Be 



sure you see it. 



Let us leave the quiet, restful pools and 



the sluggish bays and follow the hurrying 



water to the rapids. Every stone changes 



the course of the current and the babble 



makes glad the heart of the wayfarer. Let 



us " leave no stone unturned " until we 



have routed from his favorite haunt that 



genius of the rapids, the Dobson. (See Fig. 



90.) These creatures bear other common 



names and are prized by fishermen in the 



black bass season. Dirty brown in color and 



frankly ugly in appearance and disposition, 



these larv8e, for such they are, have little 



90. — The Dohson makes to fear from the casual visitor at the water's 

 nopreteinonstoheauty , ^-m . • t/-, i ,i x-w i 



/,..-/.,,., 7.. •- \ ed2:e. When a stone is lilted the Dobsons 



{naturae size). " 



beneath it allow themselves to be hurried 

 along for some distance by the current. The danger over, they 



* These and others forms found in still or slow flowing water are described 

 and pictured in Leaflet No. 11, Life in an Aquarium. 

 34 539 



