130 
NATURE’S CRAFTSMEN 
into her house, you will see these teeth in uneven 
projections on either side of the door hinge, and 
so arranged that the teeth on one side fit into 
those on the other. 
“ This wise mother keeps her tiny triangular- 
shaped babies close in the house-boat with her 
through the summer months. And as they grow 
things become rather messy and crowded, for 
often there are as many as a thousand of these 
babies at a time! In early winter the mother 
sends them off to see the world, and as they rush 
out the door they are in such haste to be gone 
that the water near them looks quite milky. 
“ All about are a host of hungry neighbors— 
tadpoles, frogs, water bugs of all kinds, fishes, 
dragon-fly children, and perhaps ducks or geese 
and some one of the snipe family or others of the 
water birds, which wade about looking for just 
such food as this small creature’s children. So 
there are perils of all sorts to be avoided, and the 
babies are well-nigh helpless among them. Some 
are snapped up at once, others are trodden deep 
into the mud and smothered, still others swim 
haphazardly about and presently die of neglect 
and go to the bottom, there to feed the countless 
creatures which are nosing about. But a good 
many manage to settle on or near the fins of a 
passing fish, and snuggle down in content. For 
the fish is a kind host, but perhaps not an 
