Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-05-30
a WATER BEETLE
ft showed the Pleasure ofa Child In Blow
Ing Bubbles.

Lately | kept for few days for in
spection that very beautiful insect. the
water beetle, says n writer in Science.
The specimen was large aud splendid
ly colored. gold-banded, and display
ing brilliant iris hues on its legs. I
placed il In n glass jar of water. On
the surface Of the water some leaves
were laid. On one side OF the Jar. at
the bottom. was pasted square Of
paper. and TO the shelter OF this the
beetle often retired. 1t seemed to
take great delight In darting, swim
ming. mnd diving. rising from the
bottom of the jar TO the top of the
water by long vigorous strokes of its
hind legs. Then, joining its second
pair OF legs before It, like a SWIM
mer's hands, aud stretching the hind
pair out nearly together, il would dive
to the bottom. II slept hanging head
downward under the leaves, with the
tip OF the body above the water 10
secure air.
IL showed the pleasure OF a child in
blowing bubbles. Rising to the sur
face II would pnt the tip OF its body
above the water part the eIytra and
take In air; then closing its case it
would dive to the bottom. stand on its
head. emit the air bubble by bubble
until 1t was exhausted. and come up
for a new supply. 1t seemed to need
the daily renewal of the air in the Jar.
When it was hungry or the water was
not fresh enough. il became dull aud
suIky. and hid behind the paper.
After the beetle had tasted twenty
four hours. laid on top Of the water a
wasp. a mosquito q blue-bottle fly. and
common hy. all dead. The beetle,
being at the bottom of the jar did not
seen - see or smell these insects.
KEing presently he came up against
the mosquito. seized the body ia his
jaws and sucked it dry with one pull.
He then found the blue bottle, carried
Il down TO the shelter of the paper,
trussed it neatly. cutting of the wings,
legs. and head. and letting them float
to the surface. He then held the body
In ha jaws aud sucked 1t dry. After
this he rose TO the surface found the
other fy and served il in the same
fashion. Next he found the wasp. a
large one. Carrying this below, as he
had the hies, he clipped off the wings
and legs but took the precaution to
suck tho head and the thorax before
turning them adrlit. He also grasped
the body in his hands, pressed the
part that had been cut from the thorax
to his mouth. and holding ii exactly rs
IL drinking out of bottle he drained it
dry.
| found that he could eat all the
:ime. except. when he was asleep
or playing. aud his activity was ia
proportion to the quantity Of his food.
Cooked meat he would none Of. Raw
beef he did not greatly like. but
raw veal he priced even above wasps
and blue-bottles. cut an ounce of
raw veal into dice and dropped it in
the bottom of the jar in a heap. He
did not seem to see or smell it, but
after awhile happened to dive into it.
He appeared 10 be full of Joy at the
discovery. One fragment after an
other he took in his hands, held it
closely to his jaws. and sucked it dry
by strong pulls. At each pull | could
mark the recediug red juice of the
meat. When the veal was reduced to
pale fiber he let it 90 and took a
fresh bit. He always retired TO the
shelter Of the paper TO eat, with the
sole exception of the mouthful he made
of the mosquito. Like the king Of
Dahomey he would not eat in pubic.