ROOF WINGS. 51 



Through the short, sweet night of summer, 

 And will last till heat, returning, 

 Dissipates the drops that glitter 

 On the green grass, on the hedges, 

 Showering on us if we touch them. 

 Even now the sunbeams, slanting. 

 Gild the morning mist with glory, 

 Fill the trembling gems with colours, 

 Colours brilliantly prismatic. 

 Like disintegrated rainbows. 

 Up ! the early skylark, Laura, 

 Is inviting us to study. 



Let us next observe the Roof Wings, 

 Insects that are truly netwinged. 

 But distinguished by their pupte, 

 And their feet, which are fivejointed, 

 From the true and proper Net Wings : 

 Class Stegoptera we call them. 



First, the Ant Lions, so famous 

 In all ages, in all countries, 

 Theme of students, theme of sages ; 

 Crafty Myrmeleontixa. 

 The wise larva makes a pitfall 

 In the crumbhng sand of summer. 

 Shaping it like cone inverted : 

 Into this the pismires Wrjnder, 

 Pismires, beetles, and all insects ; 

 And, once having passed the margin. 



