IN EARLY SPRING—SECOND WEEK OF APRIL 5 
hardy water plant, which thrives so well with 
us. And as we watch, up comes a little black 
larva, wriggling to the top—the warm sun 
has matured it. It stays there, floating 
motionless, but in a few seconds a small cinna- 
mon coloured moth, with prominent white 
feelers which it waves about, emerges from 
the case, feels its gauzy wings and flies away. 
This is a birth very common in the spring- 
time in all still waters not too deep (and 
Wwe can see many little empty cases floating 
about). But it is seldom witnessed by 
us because we do not watch for it. From 
the time the larva left the bottom, three feet 
down, to when the moth flew away, not more 
than half a minute had elapsed. What a 
wonderful metamorphosis from life in water 
to the outer air, and in half a minute’s time ! 
What is the fate of suchlike moths? Some 
are devoured by fish and others by birds. 
Some live out their little life. The tips of 
the Mays show green, and the pear trees 
trained against the wall have burst into 
white at the warm end on which the sun shines 
