The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-05-13

On pond near my house lives drol
little boatman. He spends his whole
time on that vast sheet OF water, rowing
himself about to hunt up something to
eat, or sitting upon the surface to rest
and look about little, and he's as happy
as the day is long.
A little fellow he is, too, about half an
inch long, and his boat is made of his own
back, and his oars of his own legs, and,
in fact, he's water beetle, end his name
is the Water Boatman. He has also
another name. One of those long, hard
ones that you can see in the big books.
| and 1T means the Back Swimmer. For
you must know that this curious little
nelghbor of mine actually does swim on
his back all around the pond, and don't
suppose he could swim any other way
His wing cases are so shaped that when
they are closed they look exactly like the
bottom of a boat-keel and all And his
last pair of legs-for of course he has six,
you know-are shaped like oars, of the
very best kind, can tell you, and with
them he rows himself about anywhere he
wishes to go.
Men have been many years in finding
out the best shape for OARS, and the best
way to row with them, but here's this
little gray fellow in my pond who knew
the whole thing the first moment of his
life, and found the latest style of i'm
proved oars all ready for his use. Like
men IN their clumsy boats he strikes out
with his oars, and thick fringe of hairs
all down the edges catches the water and
pushes him along finely Then-like
men again-he turns his oar slightly in
the socket, when the hairs fall back to-
gether, and only thin edge of the oar
comes to the water. 1t is really mar
velous how much his movements are like
those of man in boat
He's pretty little fellow. His body
is long and slim, and his back is covered |
with velvety substance that keeps out |
the wet. He has hairs down his sides |
which help support him in the water, |
and which spread out and close up like |
fms. His wings are large and handsome. |
His head is of a gray color and his large
eyes of a pale brown.
He has six legs-as all insects have
but each pair has different use. Both
feet of the first pair are arms with strong
GAYS n%5 neng 1ls maaf peaeea f9f Sfe q6ey Sf
enable the small boatman to crawl on
The shore, which he does sometimes.
And the last-which are twice as long
rs the others-are for oars, to get about
in the water, as told you.
OF course-since he spends most of |
his time on his back-he would not be
able to see very well if he held his head
out straight as other beetles do, so he
holds it bent over on his breast, which
brings his large, oval eyes into just the
right position to see.
One of the most interesting things
about him is his way of breathing. He
must have air, yet he spends most of his
life under water. If you could watch
him you would-now and tben-see him
come to the surface, stick his tail out ie
to the air and take small bubble of air
snugly in between his body and his
wings Gradually the white bubble,
which looks like quicksilver under the
water, would move up along his body,
and at last, when used up, would escape
from under the front edge of his wing
in the shape of the tiniest possible
bui bles, and all the time with his head
unaer water. 1t is very curious thing
to see. l suppose l need not tell you
that insects do not breathe through a
nose-as you debut through tiny bits
of holes in their sides. So when you see
a fly carefully brushing off his sides, you
may know that he is clearing out his
breathing places-in fact, wiping his
nose.
The Boatman is neat little creature |
himself; no fly can excel him in careful |
brushing, and he does it in the same way |
with his two fore-legs, twisting his head |
and passing the legs over it, as flies al |
ways do.
He is not obliged to pass his life al
together in the pond. If he is seized
with desire to travel he has only to
dive and come up head first, and when
he reaches the surface give smart slap
on the water with his oars. This will
send him into the air several inches,
when he can instantly spread his fine
great wings and fly off with a loud hum
like wasp. But he is not much of
traveller. His journeys are generally
only to the next pond, where he thinks
he may find more food, for / must con-
fess this little fellow has one bad fault
hat is, it is a bad fault in little folks
who know better-he is very, very
greedy.
He is particular about his food, too.
He wants only the juice of fresh meat,
and he needs no market basket either,
for he snatches it wherever he can find
il, with those useful forelegs of his,
draws it up to his head, where he carries
short, sharp sort of knife, which he
plunges into the body of his victim, and
in few minutes throws il away-an
empty shell. But what is curious, he
leaves the form of his prey in perfect
shape, not hurt in the least, so that MIR.
Wood says it is ready for naturalist to
mount"-if you know what that is. If
you don't, I'll tell you; tits to seat 1T up
| on pin, which is stuck into board or
| something, and surrounded by many
other beetles and things.
The food that our little friend prefers
is the Juices of one of his neighbors on
| the pond, called a water gnat. lie is the
last one you would select to eat-if you
wanted that sort of food-for he is said
to resemble shor: piece of fine nee
die, set upon black hairs for legs, and so
thin that he looks like shadow as he
runs about on the water.
| This little neigfbo of mine has an
other name besides Water-Boatman,
Back-Swimmer and Not~nect1 Glaucd.
He is sometimes called tie "Long Bug
with Oars."-Ogsre Ihorne, in Christian