•200 
THE SUBSTITUTE. 
Next them come the water walkers ; 
They all walk upon the water; 
On each pond and stream you find them, 
Skimming safely on the surface, 
Safely as we tread the pathways. 
Without any chance of sinking: 
Their fore winfis are long and narrow. 
Tough from end to end like leather. 
With their edges folded over; 
All their feet, too, are three-jointed, 
And their body straight and narrow, 
Like a bit of stick just broken ; 
Water walkers, water runners. 
If you like Hydkoimetiuna. 
Following, and next in order. 
Though I rather would avoid them. 
Are those flat and ugly creatures. 
Crawling slow upon the bottom. 
On the muddy slimy bottom. 
Of the stagnant ponds and ditches. 
Feeding upon little fishes, 
Or the grubs of water insects: 
Their antennae are quite hidden 
Underneath the poking forehead; 
Their fore wings, like those of bugflies. 
Are of two distinctest textures, j 
Tough and leathery next the body. 
Thin and quite transparent outwards. 
And there always folded crosswise ; 
All their feet are but two-jointed ; 
All their legs are formed for crawling, 
Not for leaping nor for swimming ; 
And their tail is two long bristles: 
Water scorpions 1 call them. 
Water scorpions or Nepina. 
Next to these the water boatmen 
Follow in the proper order : 
Their antennm are quite hidden ; 
Their fore wings are of two textures. 
And are always folded crosswise. 
Just exactly as in bugflies. 
And their fore legs formed for grasping. 
All the rest are formed for swimming. 
And their feet are but two-jointed. 
liCt us watch them in the water. 
In the bright transparent water. 
