Tiger Beetles 217 



more without moving while you mutter some magic 

 words. 



Of course any words will do, but just for the 

 sake of being accurate, you can say: "I conjure you 

 to disappear, ye holes of the hobgoblins ! Ya, Ya, 

 Ya; He, He, He; Va, Hy, Hy; Ha, Ha, Ha; 

 Va, Va, Va; An, An, An; Aia, Aia, Aia; El, Ay, 

 Elebra, Elechim! " which I take from an old book 

 of magic, so it must be right. If you do not move 

 and keep quiet long enough the hobgoblins will 

 come up and stop the holes with their heads, and 

 your astonished friend will apparently see the holes 

 disappear right before his eyes. When there are no 

 more holes in sight, cry aloud, " I conjure the holes 

 to reappear!" Clap yom* hands and stamp your 

 foot and all the hobgoblins will disappear and leave 

 all the holes in plain sight ! This is real magic. It 

 is the magic of knowing more than the other fellow. 



You may fish for tliesc holjgoblins, and when 

 you become skilful, you can catch them by insert- 

 ing a straw of grass down the hole (Fig. 194) and 

 when the hobgoblin nips it on the end, withdraw 

 the grass with the hobgoblin attached. In fact you 

 can have real fun with these queer things and in 

 doing so learn a lot about Tiger beetles. 



