THE SWEEP-NET HARVEST I 1 9 



tree-cricket, whose shrill song you so abruptly brought 

 to an end with your stroke of the net ! Here, farther 

 down, we observe a slight commotion among the an- 

 imated chaff and grass seed, and a brilliant gem of a 

 beetle creeps forth, green as an emerald and lit with 

 ruby reflections, almost the brightest jewel among our 

 native insects, and whose presence here in the net is 

 conclusive proof that yonder plant of dog-bane must 

 have come within the sweep of your net. 



The lively procession continues to emerge as you 

 open the netted folds. Here are spiders of every shape 

 and size and hue yellow and brown and green, round 

 .and flat and three-cornered glittering tinselled flies, 

 perhaps a leaf -cutting bee, ants and aphides, long- 

 legged crane-flies, aphis -lions, and jumping 4< snap- 

 tugs." 



Even the sedimentary accumulation at the bottom of 

 the net is now seen to be animated with insect life ; the 

 dust of pollen and withered anthers of the grasses are 

 alive with agile atoms tiny creeping soldier- bugs, with 

 beaks upraised for war, feather-headed gnats, lady -birds 

 in variety, tiny orange - colored grubs parasites from 

 the bodies of the very grasshoppers in your net. Quick ! 

 Turn your glass upon this frail plumy -winged moth 

 which now creeps from the folds. And now this spry 

 black midge ; see with what marvellous rapidity it curls 

 upward the tip of its agile tail, and tucks its buzzing 

 wings beneath those tiny covers on its back after each 

 short flight among the meshes an atom of a rove- 

 beetle, with the same dexterous trick of the devil's 

 coach - horse, which I described and pictured a few 

 weeks ago. 



Nor have I named all the surprises in store for you 



