CO 
NEUROPTEEA. 
stream. This is the first winged condition of Ephemera; 
he is now in what is aptly termed his sub-imago state; 
his wings are scarcely dry, and his muscles are unequal 
to great exertion ; he is a heavy clumsy flier, now he 
drops for a second or two on the water, then flops 
along helplessly; but by-and-bye he may gain the 
bank, where he will remain two or three hours perhaps, 
and then another change will take place. Look at this 
blade of grass ; what is the shadowy form that clings 
lifelessly to it ? It is a delicate membrane, thin and 
light as possible, which the slightest breath will blow 
away. Notice the split across the back. It is the 
cast-off skin of the Ephemera in its sub-imago state, 
now metamorphosed into a creature more active than 
harlequin or columbine—the male into a dark-brown 
insect with clear gauze-like wings, the female into a 
beautiful creature with body marbled white and brown. 
How different now is the mode of flight! No longer a 
clumsy helpless fluttering, but a swift strong flight, not 
unlike that of the Dragon-fly, is that of the perfect 
Ephemeral imago. Now high in the air, now sailing 
along close to the surface of the water, she ever and 
anon dips gently into it and leaves a few eggs therein. 
This is the sole object of her life now she has become 
a mother; not a particle of food has she tasted since 
she left her nymphal state and her deserted swaddling 
clothes to the mercy of the stream ; nor will she take 
food so long as her short life lasts. If you examine 
the digestive apparatus of any of these insects, whether 
male or female, in the sub-imago or imago condition, 
you will never find the slightest traces of food in the 
stomach ; this organ, as well as the whole intestinal 
