STUDIES OF AQUATIC INSECTS 



By L S. HAWKINS, Cortland Normal School, Cortland, N. Y. 



Ponds and brooks may furnish valuable material for nature- 

 study lessons, ranging from those insects which attract attention 

 merely on account of their interesting habits to those which are 

 of vital economic importance on account of the part which they 

 play in man's life, for good or ill. 



Many of these insects come to the surface to breathe, so 

 that no provision need be made for plants to furnish oxygen. For 

 others, plants must be provided or the water must be changed 

 occasionally. 



These insects may be kept for a week without feeding, and 

 if it is desired to keep them longer they may be fed once a week 

 with a bit of raw meat fastened to a string, so that the uneaten 

 portions may be removed. 



These insects may be collected by sweeping with a net the 

 plants growing around the edge of the pond. In place of the net, 

 one may use a handled strainer with wire on the bottom, such as 

 is found in the kitchen. 



The lessons may well be correlated with art and English as 

 suggested in the following outline lessons. The first lesson should 

 be occupied with a study of the insects. Following this may be 

 the drawing lessons, and then the literature bearing on the sub- 

 ject may be studied. 



Primary Grades 

 (Fall or Spring) 

 Problem 



How do insects live on the surface of water? 



Materials 



Water strider, whirligig beetle, glass dish. 



Method 



No water plants are needed for these insects. They may be 

 fed on flies or raw meat. The observations should be allowed to 

 extend through several weeks, and a few questions may be asked 

 at a time, or written on the board, so as to guide the children's ob- 

 servations, many of which may be made outside of the lesson pe- 

 riod. 



Observations 



i. How do they float? 



What part of each insect touches the water? How does the 

 surface of the water look where a foot touches it? Place the 



