St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-26
EXPERIMENTS OF A BEETLE.
1t Showed the Pleasure of a Child
in Blowing Bubbles.

1t Showed the Pleasure of Child
in Blowing Bubbles.
From Science.
Lately l kept for a few days for In
spection that very beautiful insect, the
water beetle. The specimen was large
and splendldly colored, gold-banded
and displaying brilliant iris hues on its
legs. l placed it in a 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 a
square of paper, and to the shelter of
this the beetle often retired. 1t seemed
to take the greatest delight in darting,
swimming and diving. rISIng from the
bottom of the jar to the top of the water
by long, vigorous strokes of It's hind
legs. Then. joining its second pair of
legs before it, like a swimmers hands,
and stretching the hind pair out nearly
together, il would dive to the bottom. 1t
slept hanging head downward under the
leaves, with the tip of the body above
water to secure air.
1t showed the pleasure of a
child in blowing bubbles. Rising
TO the surface, it would put the
tip of its body above the water,
part the elytra, and take in air: then
closing its case, 1t would dive to the
bottom, stand on its head. emit the air
bubble by bubble until it was eX-
hauSted, and come up for new supply.
1t seemed to need the daily renewal of
the water in the jar. When it was hun
CRY, or the water was not fresh enough,
it became dull and sulky, anu hid be-
hind the paper. After the beetle had
tasted twenty-fOur hours, l laid on the
top of the water wasp, mosquito,
bue-bOttle fly and common ny, all
dead. The beetle, being at the bottom
of the jar. did not seem to see or smell
these insects.
Rising presently he came up against
the mosquito. seized the body in his
jaws. and sucked it dry with one pull.
He then found the blue bottle, carried
it down to the shelter of the paper,
trussed it neatly, cutting off the WINGS
legs and head, and letting them float to
the surface. He then held the body IN
his hands, or short front feet, pressed
it to his jaws. and sucked it dry. After
this he rOse to the surface, found the
other fly. and served it in the same
fashion. Next he found the wasp.
large one. Carrying this below, as he
had the flies, he clipped off the wings
and legs, but took the precaution to
suck the head and thOraX before turn
ing them drift. He also grasped the
body in his hands. pressed the part that
had been cut from the thOraX to his
mouth. and holding it exactly as it
drinking out of a bottle he drained it
dry.
| found that he could eat all the time,
except when he was asleep or playing.
and his activity was in proportion to the
quantity of lis food. Cooked meat he
would none of. Raw beef he did not
greatly like, but raw veal he priced even
above wasDs and bluebOttleS. | cut an
ounce of raw veal into dice and dropped
it in the bottom of the jar in heap. He
did not seem To see or smell it, hut after
a while happened to dive into it.
He appeared to be full of JOY at the
discovery. One fragment after another
he took IN his hands. held it closely 70
his jaws. and sucked it dry by strong
pulls. At each pull | could mark the
receding red Juice of the meat When
the veal was reduced To a pale fiber he
let it 90 and took fresh bit. He al
ways 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 i'm public fi u