THE FRESH WATERS 181 



smooth surface of the water with a touch into 

 smiling; we see them chasing, embracing, 

 separating. There is great beauty in their film- 

 like wings, in their large, lustrous eyes, in the 

 graceful sweep of the long tail-filaments. 



"They never pause to eat; they could not 

 if they would. Hunger is past, love is just 

 begun, and in the near future is death. The 

 evening shadows grow longer the shadow of 

 death is over the Ephemerides. The trout 

 jump at them, a few raindrops thin the 

 throng, the stream bears others away. The 

 mothers lay their eggs in the water, and, after 

 doing so, many seem utterly spent, and die 

 forthwith. The eggs, however, are in the 

 water, and the race continues." 



THE STORY OF THE FRESH-WATER 

 SPIDER 



Before we leave the fresh waters, let us look 

 at the water-spider (Argyroneta natans), one 

 of the conquerors. It strikes the note of ad- 

 venture which is so characteristic of animals. 

 For while it is a land animal by nature and 

 origin, and breathes dry air, it has learned to 

 live underneath the water. It is the female 



