160 



THE CANOE OF THE WATEB-MOTH. 



of stone, and gravel, and 

 though they are very small, 

 taste in fixing them. You 

 make of fresh leaves, cui lous- 

 f r o m 



many 

 more 



his dinner or put up for the night. After several days he not only 

 creeps out of this strange house, but out of his skin, at the same 

 time taking on moth wings. 



Many people call these queer ci'eatures '' laddis worms." If you 

 hunt for them with your young eyes you can find these little nests 



leaves, made by the grubs. 



They seem to have great 



should see the houses they 



ly put together. They hang 



their shoulders like so 



wings. They are even 



like a bud just ready 



to open. 



These pretty cases 

 of leaves are glued to- 

 gether, leaving an open- 

 ing at its top just large 

 enough for the little 

 creatures to put out 

 their head and shoul- 

 ders when they want 

 to look lli^^^M^''^P?' i . I about for food ; others 



of the Y same species cut pieces 



of reed, or wood, into lengtlis, or strips, \ and join them together 

 as they go on with their work. 



They use a certain kind of cement, which is better able to stand 

 water than any ever made by man. And they often finish up the 

 whole by putting a broad piece, longer than all the rest, overhead, 

 to shade the door-way, so that no one shall see them woi'k. Some 

 of these funny grubs break off bits of the stems of rushes, which, 

 you know, grow in the water, and weave them into a sort of round 

 ball. Then they hang them together on the stem of some other 

 water-plant, making a little cell in the middle to live in. Some use 

 tiny shells even, with snails and other animals alive in them. They 

 keep these poor things just as if they were in prison, and drag 

 them all about with. them. 



