260 MICROSCOPY FOR BEGINNERS. 



CHAPTER XL 



WATER-MITES AND THE WATER-BEAK. 



THE Water-mites (Fig. 171) are sometimes called wa- 

 ter-spiders, probably because they bear some resemblance 

 to small spiders, and have eight legs. Naturalists have 

 seen the resemblance and have placed them in a family 

 group near to the spiders. Water-spider, however, is 

 not a good name for them, as we have some true spiders 

 that are semi-aquatic in their habits and have therefore 

 a better title to such a name. 



The water-mites are usually very active little animals, 

 swimming freely and rapidly through the water, or 

 forcing themselves among the leaflets of aquatic plants, 

 probably in search of food. They may generally be 

 obtained in some abundance by 

 collecting water -weeds in the 

 way previously recommended, 

 namely, by sinking the bottle 

 and floating the plants into it 

 without removing them from 



.,./*, m, Fig. 171. A Water-mite. 



their native element. They are 



all quite visible to the unaided eye, and may for the 



most part be studied with a comparatively low-power 



objective. 



Their bodies are plump and oval, or nearly spherical. 



