The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-03-25

were celebrated Win grest pomp and
magnifoence, and hey we're happy ever
after.
The WATER-BEAR.-The water-bear
is 'comical- looking little animal. His
home IL i'm freshs6ster shallow ponds,
and he is 50 small that only the practiced
eye can detect him without the aid OF
microscope. Being less in size than an
ordinary pin-head, it is not necessary to
take guns and dogs to go in search OF
our "bear." All that the successful
hunter needs is stout stick Ia fOrked
one is the best), to pull the plants that
harbor him from the pond, and a supply
of walls to hold the water and the
plants.
An experienced hunter knows pretty
well, from the look of the water and the
plants, whether he has hit upon good
hhunting grounds" Satisfied with his
captures he returns home, takes a tiny
spray OF plant from one Of the vials, and
spreads it on glass side followed out
on one side for the purpose, and adds q
little water from one of the Walls to fill
the cavity. 1t is now ready for the mi
crosc0pe. With very strong magnify
ing power, the water in the glass slide
appears like a deep pond, and the little
spray of plant like great branch; and
here are myriads of strange creatures
swimming about and frolicking with
each other. But the "bear" is the main
object of our search, and here he is He
looks very much like his larger name.
sake, only that he has eight legs instead
of four.
| He will not keep still long enough tc
have his portrait taken, and so has to be
held fast between two glasses, and this
flattens him somewhat.
He goes slowly grubbing about among
the plants, eating as he goes, and food II
so abundant where he lives that we neye
find poor, halfstarved specimen, Th'
water-bears always are fat and plump
from the. tiny cub up to full-grown
grave-looking fellows. -.
have family of these bears in a lit
tie glass cage upon my study table. Tn
cage is supplied with pond water AM
plants; and as often as find q bear
cage him; and when become tired am
cross, take a.look at this happy family
and the bears droll maneuvers neve
fail to restore me to good humor. Th
. cage is SO constructed that / can conve
niently place it under the microscope.
Sometimes find bear sitting on hi
,, launches, entrapped and held In this pr
: sition by the plants. He strikes abou
! with his fore paws, but still eats away Q
: if his very life depended upon his d'
youring a certain amount of food, befoi
: he can stop to extricate himself.
: He changes his skin, don't know no
= many times, but as often as the Of
2 dress becomes too tight and uncomfort
:, BILE, suppose; and he slips out of 1t
! nicely, leaving it all whole, even to Il
= little claws, and there it stands, M
i thrown down in heap nor mussed
all! For a time was completely pu
c Fled ON seeing these old dresses standir
!; about as if inflated, and thought the
u must be skeletons the body hi
y y decompesed and left only the skin; b
u after awhile / caught one slipping o.
&c of his dress. and the mystery was TIT
# explained. -
her old dress. She converts it into
" nursery. In slipping out OF her SIX
she manages to leave four or five eg
. inside OF it for the water-bear, unli
~ ~ its great namesake, lays eggs, and t
III little ones must take care of themsely
=. as best they may. The egg is cover
u with membrane, so transparent tn
we can see through it, and in few ola
y after the eggs are left, we can zee I
III outline of the little bear all coiled l
-, with its tiny paws close to its mouth.
-, - soon bursts the membrane. and g
y plodding slowly about, sometimes with
the nursery walls for day or so, un
ok at last it makes its exit through slit
e, opening in the back, and is FAM
ng launched into the great world of wa
and plants, where it becomes at once
Ia much at home as the oldest inhabitant
nd Mary Treat, in ST. Nicholas.