BRITISH INSECTS 



" oars " in such a way as would make an Oxford or 

 Cambridge freshman green with envy. Some love the 

 muddy bottom of a sunlit pond, others revel in the 

 thyme-covered slopes of a dry hillside. Some are fond 

 of the warmth of the Ufe-giving sun, others, like Dio- 

 genes of old, pass their time lurking in cold, dark places. 

 The quick movements of some of these gay little crea- 

 tures will, without much effort, be known to all, the 

 laborious progression of others, and their consequent 

 attendant devices for protection, will be equally famiUar 

 to the veriest tyro. The abnormal number of eggs 

 produced, so as to allow for waste, accident, loss through 

 enemies and other causes, is not the least feature of 

 interest, and the clever ruses that are adopted for hiding 

 their productions in a suitable environment need only 

 be mentioned in passing. This great world of insect- 

 life which populates earth, air, and water, invading 

 all the elements, inimical to the interests of human 

 existence here, carrying out all unconsciously important 

 missions there, is full of interest and wonder. If all 

 that were born came to maturity, if the wonderful law 

 of give-and-take, if the intricate and yet delicate balance 

 of Nature was not properly adjusted, this very world 

 of insect-life would, in a short time, make human life 

 well-nigh, if not quite, impossible. Every green thing 

 would soon disappear, all, all would be lost, and in a way 

 the super-wonder of the whole fabric of this branch of 

 Natural Science may be stated to be, not so much per- 

 haps the fascinating life-stories that are unfolded, but 

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