THE EPHEMERA, OR MAY-FLY. 41 



dance they practise. Up and down, up and down ! with head 

 erect, and bodies prettily curving upwards, dancing in the 

 sun, which now shines out from beneath the clouds merrily, 

 merrily ! Truly an Ephemera's life has many ' ups and 

 downs,' and the insects doubtless enjoy them immensely. But 

 we must here notice that it is the males that execute this 

 particular style of dance, rising up sometimes ten or twelve 

 feet, then dropping down suddenly the same distance. At 

 least, I am inclined to think this dancing is confined to the 

 gentlemen ; for I have never yet detected a lady, in her white 

 and marble dress, amongst the company. The flight of her 

 ladyship differs considerably now from what it was before she 

 cast her last garments away. No longer a clumsy, helpless 

 mode of flying, sustained with much difficulty ; but a swift, 

 strong flight, not unlike that of the dragon-fly, is that of the 

 perfect Ephemeral imago. Now high in the air, now sailing 

 along close to the surface of the water, ever and anon dipping 

 gently into it, she is evidently busy discharging some 

 important duty. She is laying her eggs, by little packets at 

 a time, first in one place and then in another. The small oval 

 eggs sink quickly down to the bottom, and attach themselves to 

 submerged weeds and stones. This is the sole object of her 

 life, now that she has become a mother ; not a particle of food 

 has she tasted since she left her nymphal state, not a particle 

 of food will she taste so long as her short life lasts. If you 

 examine the digestive apparatus of any of these insects, 

 whether male or female, when in the imago or sub-imago 

 state, you will never find the slightest traces of food in the 

 stomach ; this organ, as well as the whole intestinal canal, is 

 almost always full of air-bubbles ; catch one of those dancing 

 males with their long extended fore-feet, that' you may mis- 

 take for antennae, and press him quickly in the middle, crack 

 he goes, for the little air-bubbles have burst by the pressure. 

 No wonder that Ephemera's stomach is empty, for he has no 

 mouth, at least none that could be of any use to him ; so 

 rudimentary is that organ now. The intestinal canal, there can 

 be no doubt, serves the purpose of buoying up the little 

 animal, and saves the expenditure of muscular action ; for as 



