WHIRLIGIGS. 89 



debris of tree-decay, the hole looked mysterious. 

 Should I explore it ? I did. My trowel came 

 forth with its burden of black. Spreading it on 

 the ground I looked for live inhabitants in every 

 trowelful. A mosquito walked sleepily out of the 

 debris as though deprecating my actions. A small 

 centipede, I believe, threatened me with destruc- 

 tion. But in the mass I found the larvae of ten 

 Tipulid flies, one wedged into the side of a piece 

 of wood so soft that I could mash it between my 

 fingers. 



The larvae were light-lilac-colored worms from 

 seven eighths to an inch long, with bodies ending 

 in a round of V-shaped points, somewhat like 

 some of the larvae of dragon-flies. The Tipulid 

 worms had an uncanny way of moving, the black 

 internal arrangements showing in places under 

 the almost transparent skin, giving the observer 

 the impression that the creatures might be break- 

 ing to pieces. Extremely uncomfortable were the 

 larvae on being dug out of their tree-home, and 

 unanimous were the ten in their appreciation of a 

 jelly -glass of the tree-mould in which they might 

 hide again. They soon turned to pupae, for they 

 were nearly grown. Such larvae live upon vege- 

 table mould. Eeamur found that such creatures 

 extract all the nourishing matter from the earth 

 that they eat. One would think it a pretty dry 

 diet, yet the larvae seemed to enjoy life in the old 

 tree that opened its trunk and said to the insect 



