STAG-BEETLE. HAIR-WORM. 



201 



to arrive at maturity,- and it burrows in the wood of oak and 

 willow trees. I showed the beetle I caught to our housekeeper, 

 and she nearly went into hysterics over it. I tried to make 

 her take it into her hand, and she said she would not have 

 done so for * worlds untold.' " 



Frank stooped down to wash his hands in a small pool of 

 water by the road-side, and he cried 



STAG-HORNED PKION-JS AND DIAMOND BEETLE. 



" I say, do look here. Here is a living horsehair. Look at 

 it swimming about. It ties itself into ever so many knots in a 

 minute, and unties them again. Is it a hair-worm ? " 



" Yes, I have no doubt it is," said Jimmy. " Do you know 

 that I expect that the common notion of eels being bred from 

 horsehairs has arisen from country people seeing these long 

 worms, and thinking they were horsehairs just come to life." 



The hair-worm in the first stage of its existence passes its life 

 in the body of some tiny animal or insect. Although it lives 

 afterwards in the water, yet it will, if put into a dry and hot 



