44, POND LIFE 



Although the mature may-flies have a well-developed digestive 

 tract, yet unfortunately they have no mouth, and are therefore 

 totally unable to obtain food of any description from the 

 moment of leaving the water until they die. That an animal 

 should be so perfect in every detail, and lack so essential a 

 thing as a mouth, is most surprising. 



As the may-fly is more generally known as the adult, and 

 seldom in the form of the larva, we will study the life cycle of 

 the insect from maturity. One of the original and most fas- 

 cinating sights is a swarm of may-flies dancing : rising by 

 means of their wings to a certain height, soaring downwards 

 with tails outspread, rising and sinking over and over again. 

 Occasionally a larger may-fly makes an appearance, but not 

 stopping to join the dancing males, flies rapidly, as if on 

 urgent business, through the dancing throng. But she has 

 not passed unnoticed, for some of the dancers have seen her. 

 An exciting chase follows, the hunters and hunted dodging 

 and twisting in the air with surprising agility, until one of the 

 pursuers manages to seize her by means of his front legs and 

 the claspers terminating his abdomen, and thus fastened to- 

 gether the couple fly to a convenient wall, and after some few 

 minutes separate, the male to return to the dance, the female 

 to find a suitable spot to lay her eggs. She flies along until 

 she reaches a stream and settles on the water. There on the 

 water-film she rests, quivering gently ; and gradually the eggs 

 sink, some in groups and some singly, until hundreds and 

 hundreds of eggs are laid. The work is now complete, and 

 as if aware of this fact, she makes little attempt to rise, but 

 lies on the water-film until death intervenes. Often the 

 females fly in a wrong direction, and are forced to lay their 

 eggs in places totally unsuitable for that purpose. It is said 

 that some species of may-fly creep down the stems of water- 

 plants, and lay their eggs on stones and sticks beneath the 

 surface. The young when first hatched are as larvules, and 

 are similar to the nymphs or " adult larvae " except in that the 

 gills are not so fully formed, nor are the rudimentary wings in 

 existence. Gradually the wings become more and more com- 

 plete. Sir John Lubbock tells us that the metamorphosis in 

 the case of Cloeon is one of twenty or more moults, each pro- 

 ducing a slight difference in the appearances and structures of 

 the larvule. 



The may-fly nymph is certainly a strange little creature, and 

 although not beautiful is most fascinating, especially when seen 

 vibrating its leaf-like gills in order to produce changes of 

 water, and thus assist respiration. Similarly to the adult 



