90 UP AND DOWN THE BROOKS, 



creation, " Come, little friends, I can help you 

 still. No matter if I am old. I can help you 

 better on that very account. Whereas, before, 

 the most of you had to stay outside, I can take 

 you now into my very heart." 



All who have kept Whirligigs know that they, 

 like the Dytiscidce, carry down bubbles, and you 

 may see a beetle at the bottom of the jar, holding 

 to some little pebble and accompanied by his tiny 

 quota of air. 



Figuier tells us that in a little lake of Solazies, 

 Reunion Island, there are some tropical Gyrinidce 

 of a somewhat large size, and that the patients, 

 who go to Solazies for the mineral waters, amuse 

 themselves there by fishing for the Whirligigs 

 with lines baited with bits of red cloth which the 

 beetles will attack. Some of my little Whirligigs 

 are also deluded by a snare of this kind. Fish- 

 ing for them with a bit of red braid attached to 

 a red thread, one will see some beetle seize it and 

 hold on till he is brought almost out of the jar, 

 while he is vigorously seeking for nutriment ap- 

 parently in the braid. A white bit of cloth has 

 also, some attractions. I suppose it reminds the 

 beetles, at first sight, of a white moth. Black 

 cloth seems to have almost no interest for the 

 Whirligigs. 



The bill of fare for these Gyrinidce, as far as I 

 have observed, is as follows : 



