J28 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Water spider Aerial apartments. 



but seldom missing its aim, it springs upon the 

 insect's back, and it is then almost impossible 

 for the fly to effect an escape; but if, before the 

 spider gets to it, the fly take wing and fix upon 

 another place, the little animal whirls nimbly 

 about, and still keeps its eyes upon it, in order 

 to commence a fresh attack. Dr. Brookes says, 

 it has been sometimes seen in the act of instruct- 

 ing its young ones how to hunt; and also that, 

 whenever an old one missed its leap, it would, as 

 if ashamed of its mismanagement, run from the 

 place, and hide itself in some crevice. 



The water spider, which is a very common 

 inhabitant of our fresh waters, appears, when in 

 that element, as if covered with a silver varnish. 

 This is, however, nothing more than a bubble of 

 air attached to the abdomen by the oily humors 

 which transpire from the body, and prevent the 

 immediate contact of the water. By means of 

 this kind of bubble the insect forms its dwelling 

 under the water. It fixes several silky threads 

 to the stalks of the water-plants, and then, as- 

 cending to the surface, thrusts the hinder part of 

 its body above the water, drawing it back with 

 so much rapidity as to attach beneath a bubble 

 of air, which it has the art of detaining below, 

 by placing it under the threads above mention- 

 ed, and which it bends, like a covering, almost 

 round it. It then again ascends for another air 

 bubble, and thus proceeds till it has constructed 

 a large aerial apartment under the water, which 



