THE COMMON EPHEMERA OR DAY-FLY. 343 



see, as he had been informed he might, millions of 

 Ephemera? come out of the water, and rise into the 

 air, and was returning disappointed along with his 

 servants, who were carrying a tub containing several 

 lumps of earth full of their holes and nymphae, 

 when scarcely had it been set on one of the steps of 

 the stairs than those who had the charge of it ex- 

 claimed, " What a vast quantity of Ephemerae are 

 here !" M. de Reaumur seized one of the lights, and 

 ran to the tub. Every part of the earth that was 

 above the water was covered with Ephemera:, some 

 of which had just begun to put off their coverings, 

 others had almost effected it, and others entirely 

 completed it, and were about to take wing. A 

 storm of lightning and rain, which had been some 

 time coming on, now drove him into the house ; 

 but, to prevent the Ephemerae from flying away en- 

 tirely in his absence, he had the precaution to cover 

 the tub with a cloth. The violence of the rain con- 

 tinued for about half an hour, and on its ceasing he 

 returned to the garden. On taking off the covering 

 he found the number of Ephemera; very considera- 

 bly augmented, and they continued to multiply 

 for some time as he stood watching them. The 

 number already transformed from the earth, that 

 they had conveyed from the river, would have been 

 sufficient to have filled the tub ; but this number 

 was prodigiously augmented by the accession of 

 strangers, which were attracted by the light from 

 all quarters. He again spread the cloth over the 

 tub, and the light was held, above it: imme- 

 diately the cloth was almost concealed by the 



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