304 FLASHLIGHTS ON NATURE 



don't overbalance, and tumble bodily out, tearing 

 your hind pair of legs off, with the force of your 

 fall. Those thin shanks are brittle, and you find 

 little support now from the empty skin and the 

 hollow bracket. 



Nature, however, is wiser than her critics. Just 



NO. 12. NOW FOR THE LEGS ! 



when it looks as if next moment the fly must lose 

 her balance and topple over, she twists suddenly 

 round, with a dexterous lunge, catches the bent 

 stem with two of her free legs, and anchors herself 

 securely. No. 13 shows how this is done. Below 

 is the now almost empty pupa-shell, still enclosing 



