WA TER-SCORPJONS. 25 



mannered anger was when I prodded him mali- 

 ciously until he was forced to let go his hold on a 

 beetle, the life-juice of which he was in the rap- 

 tures of sucking. This bold interference with his 

 dinner-rights caused a few clawings with his fore- 

 legs, but that was all. 



Ranatra's long breathing-tube was quite flexi- 

 ble, being attached to the body in such a way that 

 he could allow some stick or leaf to bend it at 

 quite an angle, until one dreaded the next minute 

 seeing the tube snap off, and wondered what in 

 the world Ranatra would do then. Yet no acci- 

 dent ever happened. 



His second and third pairs of thin legs were 

 fringed with very fine hairs, scarcely noticeable 

 without the microscope, unless seen in the right 

 light. He could hold up his fore feet in the same 

 reverential attitude that the land-insect, the Man- 

 tis, employs when waiting for prey, when, as old 

 De Mouffet said, " It alwaies holds up its fore feet 

 like hands, praying as it were after the manner 

 of the Diviners, who in that gesture did pour out 

 their supplications to their gods," The attitude 

 had about as much religious significance in my 

 Ranatra as in the Mantis. Small dragon-fly lar- 

 vae (Agrion) were tid - bits for Ranatra. His 

 rounded head with its sharp bill was very sug- 

 gestive of that of a minute bird. His eyes were 

 very prominent, standing out in round, black balls 

 upon his head. 



