24 UP AND DOWN THE BROOKS. 



framework of an insect than like a finished bug. 

 I remember once having explained the metamor- 

 phoses of the larvaB of a water-beetle and of those 

 of dragon-flies to a looker at my captives, and, 

 at the end of my zealous discourse, the listener 

 pointed through the glass at poor Ranatra and 

 said, " And what does that one turn into ? " 



In Wood's " Trespassers/' the naturalist men- 

 tions a Ranatra that was caught by a girl and 

 named " Daddy," from its resemblance to a 

 Daddy-long-legs fly without wings. The natu- 

 talist goes on to say that Daddy and the girl 

 ilad fights together, in which the girl irritated 

 the insect with a pencil, and Daddy struck 

 back again. " The courage of Daddy and the 

 force of the blows which he delivered on the 

 pencil were well worthy of notice." 



My mind being wrought up by this account of 

 battle, I resolved to wage war boldly with my 

 Ranatra, also. The choice of weapons being mine, 

 I took a white stick and proceeded to make all 

 manner of passes and raps at Ranatra. But I 

 grieve to state that Ranatra was a coward. This 

 was certainly true. He fled dismayed from the 

 combat, and, standing upside down, endeavored 

 to hide his head in a hole. Perseveringly I chased 

 him from his hiding-places, but not a blow would 

 he give back. Peaceable creature ! The only 

 time that I ever knew him to manifest what could 

 be construed as, perchance, gestures of meek- 



