200 NATURE STUDY AND AGRICULTURE 



wish to put into the aquarium. Do not overstock. Be 

 careful not to put some of the fierce insects, such as cybis- 

 ter beetles, in the same jar with small ones. 



Water bugs, whirligig beetles, and water boatmen may 

 all be kept for some time and studied in detail. Feed these 

 on bits of fresh meat, liver, or fish food. 



In the spring the dragon fly is a most interesting 

 specimen for study. Have the children watch the insects 

 flying around. How many wings have they? How do 

 they hold them? What are they doing as they fly through 

 the air so hurriedly ? They are feeding upon insects which 

 they catch as they fly. They are sometimes called mosquito 

 hawks, because they catch and eat so many of these annoy- 

 ing insects. 



With a long-handled dipper or a garden rake scoop up 

 from the bottom of a pond some of the dead leaves and 

 trash. The latter part of April, or first of May, is a good 

 time to do this. You will find some peculiar-looking dark 

 insects among the trash. Have a jar or pail of water close 

 by and put them into it. These are young dragon flies. 

 They are called nymphs. Put a few of these into your dish 

 or aquarium. Feed them on earth worms or bits of fresh 

 meat. Put a small quantity of the pond trash in the dish. 

 This may contain small insects which will serve as food. 

 Raise some mosquito larvae as indicated at the close of the 

 chapter. See if the nymphs will eat these. How do the 

 nymphs move about? Do they swim as well as crawl? 

 How many legs have they ? Have they any wings ? Look 

 for wing pads on their backs. Can you see their eyes? 

 Do not feed them for a few hours, then put a small bit of 

 fresh meat on the end of wire and move this about before 



