POND LIFE 



595 



FRONT LEG OF MALE 



DYTISCUS BEETLE. 

 Showing the curious suckers. 



«,^ 





an arrogant and 

 somewhat san- 

 guinary existence. 

 Even his courtship 

 is carried out in a 

 pugnacious man- 

 ner, and the males 

 fight fiercely for 

 the possession of 

 the females, whom 

 they treat with 

 but scant courtesy. 

 The three pairs of 

 legs of the male 

 Dytiscus are very 

 remarkable, each 

 pair being adapted 

 to a special pur- 

 pose. The first 



pair bear, near what may be termed 

 the wrist, a disc covered with curious 

 suckers, which enable the beetle to 

 obtain a close grasp of any object, and 

 are also used to embrace firmly his coy 

 and slippery lady-love. The second 

 pair are long, and terminate in power- 

 ful hook-like claws, admirably adapted 

 for climbing up the weeds and banks 

 of the pond ; while the third or hind 

 pair of legs slightly taper towards the 

 foot, and are fringed with stout hairs, 

 making ideal ])addlcswith which Dytiscus 

 propels himself through the water. 



THE SECOND LEG 

 (MIDDLE PAIR) OF 

 DYTISCUS. 

 Used for climbing 



At frequent intervals these beetles 

 rise to the surface of the pond, and 

 thrust out the end of their body to 

 take in a fresh supply of air, through 

 the spiracles or breathing pores, which 

 lie just under the wing cases along the 

 sides of the body. During the sum- 

 mer, should food grow scarce, or the 

 l)ond show signs of drying up, the 

 Dytiscus will crawl up the reeds, or on 

 to the bank, and spreading its large and 

 powerful wings, fly off in search of 

 more congenial quarters. This migration 

 of the Dytiscus beetle from one pond 

 to another has been attended by some 

 very curious and interesting results, for 



it has undoubt- 

 _ edly helped to 

 spread the • now 

 almost universal 

 growth of the 

 Canadian pond- 

 weed in our 

 ponds, lakes, and 

 slow, shallow 

 streams. The 

 story of the in- 

 troduction of 

 this prolific weed 

 into England is 

 rather interest- 

 ing. Some living 

 specimens were 

 sent over to the 



-V 



I 



HIND LEG OF DYTISCUS. 

 Used in swimming. 



