NOTONECTA GLAUCA. 159 
they then fly merrily ; but if fatigued, or 
pursued by birds, they drop at once, and 
dive into the water. Here is a drawing 
of a boat fly, the nofonecta glauca*, 
which I caught in our pond-^. 
hucy. It really is very like a tiny 
boat : perhaps the first thought of a boat 
was taken from this little animal. 
Mother, It has been fancifully con- 
jectured, that the first idea of navigation 
was borrowed from the nautilus, a little 
animal, whose beautiful white shell has 
in some degree the form of a ship, and 
which is also possessed of a thin mem- 
brane, that it can erect and spread out 
in the manner of a sail to catch the 
wind. 
Liicy» Dear, mamma, where can I 
see one ? I long to know something 
more of such a singular creature. 
Mother, Your friend Sophy has a 
nautilus shell in her little collection of 
* Glmcus, sea-green, f Plate XII. 
