The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-09-11

the lively way they serve up refreob
ments. Quicker than we can tell =
they pack their lunch-baskets from GOV
sized gnat and mosquito boats, and tbar
overtake the swift little tadpoles ana
serve them up in smacking good,i
meat-pies.
Perhaps you would like to know hun
these little fellows get about SO fast
Neither fins nor paddles of anv Eind
are used in chasing their prev. nor ~
help them handle it when caught. Rnt
to get about they have way of Their
own, and, few years ago, a British
war vessel was built to go by method
like theirs.
You may have read that BENJAMIN
Franklin once had an idea that a boat
could be made with a pump in the
Stern, by which water could be drawn
in and pumped out with such force 90
to propel the boat along. But the in
genious Franklin, although he could
coax lightning from. the clouds and
make it obey him, Had to give up the
idea OF pumping boats about. And
here is just where this little grub
beats the great philosopher. In the
stern OF his little worm-skin boat hA
has pump that works like charm,
When the little nymph wants to 90 ON
an exploring voyage his clever little
muscles instantly set the pump at work
and away shoots the boat like arocket
while at the PROV of the boat is the
masked pirate, always ready for his
booty. He is very voracious, and ban.
quets on multitudes of little creatures
during the one year of his grub life.
At the end of the year, the little
pump-boat that has served him so We'll
is anchored TO a water-plant, and ia two
hours Jack, the sailor-grub, starts out
on another voyage.
I But this is an aerial trip. He HOSTS
sail, unfolding four lovely wings Of
gauze, and speeds away into the air,
the rich-robed monarch of the insect
world.
To every enemy ofinsects the dragon.
fly is friend, for what uncounted
hosts of water7insects does the swift
boat of this pirate overtake before ii
comes to shore, and what swarms and
swarms of little animal life have been
buried in that one grave-the vora.
cious, never-satisfed, long stomach OF
the great insect dragon!
But only insects have reason to fear
him; and he generally proves quite so.
ciable with the boys and girls who
cross his path, knowing himself well
insured against capture by his swift
darling wings and myriad eyes. You
will find him much more difficult to
catch than his Cousin Butterfly, but
when you 60 fishing he will fit along
the bank in front of you as you wade
through marshy places, or hover above
the tangle of drift-wood near which you
have dropped your line, as if he en-
joyed your company. Now and then,
perhaps, he will even puise gracefully for
moment above your outstretchedrod,
or silently settle on the very same log
on which you are seated, and almost
within reach of your hand. Make the
slightest motion to entrap him, and see
how quickly he is gone! Yet he does
not go far, returning sometimes to the
very spot from which you drove him
away. Be sure, then, that at least
some hundreds of his thousand eyes are
on you; but, though he is such terror
to his own tribe and kindred, he is at
peace with all mankind, and you may
become acquainted with this beautiful
but fierce darning-needle with as much
safety as with the homelY, stupid one
in grandmother stocking basket. 81,
Nicholas.