62 UP AND DOWN THE BROOKS. 



ing triumphantly back to his brethren. Even if, 

 in the darkness of some obscure corner of the jar, 

 the Dytiscidce cannot be seen, yet one can catch 

 the shine of their bubbles and know where the 

 beetles are. The Dytiscidce are of a very retir- 

 ing disposition as long as they think that there is 

 any one around. They are capable of concealing 

 themselves pretty well. There may be a dozen of 

 these beetles in a jar, and if there are only mud 

 and weeds enough at the bottom, the creatures, 

 when alarmed, will conceal themselves so that one 

 would not know that there was a beetle in the 

 water. The dark color of the beetles is easily 

 concealed by its likeness to earth color, and, un- 

 less their bubbles betray them, the Dytiscidce 

 are safe. 



There is a look of positive intelligence to many 

 of these beetles. They are the Yankees of Water 

 Land, in the matter of brains, though charity for- 

 bid that I should liken them in the matter of dis- 

 positions. When one of these beetles manages to 

 slip out of his jar and dry himself in the warm 

 sun, he will look at you in a knowing way as you 

 go to catch him, and then, spreading his wings, 

 will fly across the yard to some tree. It would 

 never do to put such innocent-hearted beetles as 

 the Hydrophilidce in with the Water-tigers, unless 

 one wished to see a battle in which the latter 

 would come off victorious, the flesh-eater triumph- 

 ing over the vegetable-eater. 



