TDdben (Brass 10 <5reen 



ways a changing scene, and when one form of life 

 passes on another is pretty sure to promptly take 

 its place. When the fishes do not flash by, per- 

 haps a mussel will come slowly creeping along, 

 and how very few people have ever seen this 

 "shell," as they call it, deliberately pick itself up 

 and take a walk. It leaves a well-defined track 

 behind it. 



Something fierce enough in appearance to make 

 you draw back, if it rushed suddenly toward you, 

 is the giant water-bug. It is boat-shaped, some 

 three inches long and looks as fierce as it really is. 

 They feed not only upon other insects, but fasten 

 themselves to fishes of considerable size and liter- 

 ally worry their lives out: an animal of no im- 

 portance destroying one of value ; something we 

 see going on all the time, but I suppose giant 

 water-bugs have their right to live, even their 

 mean, tyrannical lives. We cannot but admire 

 their agility, however, and this is their single merit. 

 They have the knack, like some people, of gain- 

 ing the applause of the gaping crowd, of being ad- 

 mired by silliness, but, never heless, despised by 

 common sense. 



But what of the land near-by ? My neck did 

 grow a little stiff looking in one direction so long, 

 and I glanced over the meadows for a change. 

 The blackberry thickets were all abloom, looking 

 like lingering snow-banks, and what a concert 

 among the birds ! I heard a dozen distinct spe- 

 '95 



