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THE AQUARIUM. 



CHAPTER IV. 

 THE INSECT AQUARIUM. 



HE aquarium-keeper who is an entomologist, or 

 who wishes to obtain a practical knowledge of 

 insect life, may devote a portion of his time to 

 rearing aquatic insects, or such species as are aquatic 

 during a portion of their lives. But there is a difficulty 

 in the fact that most of these aquatic insects are car- 

 nivorous in their habits, and must be fed with living food, 

 or they will consume each other, and this cannibalism is 

 sure to be carried on to some extent even where they are 

 provided with plenty of more legitimate prey. 



A little dredging in a pond, with a strong canvas net, 

 will produce a number of aquatic insects of various 

 species. Among these will be some strange-looking 

 active creatures, with long bodies, six long legs, and a 

 pair of apparently aborted wings on its back. These are 

 the larvae of Dragon-flies, vulgarly and erroneously styled 

 " Horse-stingers." They inhabit the water for several 

 years, and then the wings develop, the old skin bursts, 

 and they have left the watery element for ever, to fly 

 over the ponds they had previously dwelt in. In the 

 perfect state they are among the most beautiful, as they 

 are among the most terrible of the insect tribes, — terrible 

 that is, so far as other insects are concerned. For it is the 

 nature of this fleet-winged, steel-mailed creature to dart 



