IN FEATHERS AND FUR. 
221 
When he changes into a Beetle, he is a beautiful creature. He 
is golden green wiih yellow spots on the back, and beautiful blue 
on the under side. He is so bright and beautiful when flying 
through the air, that he is called Sparkler Beetle. 
He is a very fast runner, and as swift a flyer. He chases his 
prey either on wings or legs, and rarely fails to catch it. Once 
caught in his fierce jaws there is no help for it, it is instantly torn 
to pieces, legs and wings thrown away, and its juices sucked out by 
the well-named Tiger Beetle. 
It is under the microscope that this furious little fellow shows 
to the best advantage. There he blazes out into wonderful beauty. 
Just hear what a wise man — Mr. Wood — says about him : 
" The groundwork of its upper surface seems to be burnished 
and encrusted thickly with emeralds, sapphires, diamonds and 
rubies of unspeakable brightness, and it blazes out with such gor- 
geous brilliancy that the eye can scarcely endure the glory of it." 
The Tiger Beetle gives out a pleasant scent, like sweet briar. 
Here's another fellow that might be called a Tiger Beetle, only he 
lives in the water, and re- 
ceives the name of Shark. 
He will eat everything, 
even his own brothers. It 
seems, indeed, as if he 
never could get enough to 
eat, and after devouring 
> everything in his own pond 
— tadpoles, small mollusks, 
young fish, and insects — he 
will fly off to a fresh pond 
for more food. 
The picture shows Mr. 
and Mrs. Dyticus (that's 
the lovely name the books give them)> and the fore legs of Mr. 
Dyticus magnified to show their curious form. The other legs are 
flattened like oars, and the Beetle can't walk very well with them, 
since they are made to swim with. The curious fore leg is fur- 
nished with suckers like those in the arms of a cuttle fish. 
Perhaps you think this Beetle is not very beautiful, but if you 
could see him as he was when a grub, you would think him much 
improved. He was about two inches long, about the color of 
