MUSCA TENAX, Sl7 
Mother. Very well ; these little crea- 
tures have much the appearance of those 
tadpoles, but the body is longer in pro- 
portion to its thickness ; and it is pos- 
sessed of seven pair of feet, which are 
very small. 
Lucy. Do they ever walk out of the 
water r 
Mother. Yes ; they are sometimes 
found crawling slowly on the damp 
ground ; but this seldom takes place till 
they are in search of a secure corner, in 
which to go through their changes. 
Lucy. Perhaps they use their little 
legs to creep upon the mud at the bottom 
of ditches. 
Mother. Possibly that may sometimes 
be the case ; but, as they are incapable of 
living without a constant supply of air, 
they can walk only in the shallowest 
water. Their food they seem to find in the 
dirt, which they root up with their heads;, 
for which reason they have sometimes 
been called hog ivoi^ms. 
