WATER-TIGERS. 67 



Thinking my larvae protected enough, I left them 

 one hot day, but when I returned the Scarer could 

 scare no more. The water of his lake had be- 

 come too warm, and I barely rescued his brother, 

 the Conqueror of Coffee-Pot-Lid Lake, from a 

 similar fate. I might as well have let him alone, 

 however, for although after a day of languishing 

 he seemed to recover his health, yet he died 

 within a week. I had removed all the larvae's 

 lakes to the shade of a high board fence where 

 they might surely have been cool enough, but the 

 Conqueror's first taste of warm water seemed to 

 have been too much for him. 



The Frightener of Flower - Pot Lake disap- 

 peared in the same mysterious manner that Oli- 

 ver had done. I never saw such exasperating 

 ingenuity as was displayed by some of my pris- 

 oners. 



One day I came upon Conqueror II. of Cof- 

 fee-Pot-Lid Lake outside of the water, lying on 

 the earth. I supposed that he would dig his 

 hole before my eyes, but after my coming he 

 walked around a little and then plunged into his 

 lake once more and hid beneath a sprig of alys- 

 sum, remarking that he was just as proud as some 

 other people, and if there was any digging to be 

 done he preferred to have no visitors during the 

 performance. I told him that that seemed to be 

 the opinion of all of his brethren, but he should 

 remember the saying of Shakespeare : 



