The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-24
CREATURES OF TWO WORLDS.
Which Spend Part of Their Lives In
Water, Part In the Air.

|
There is a water spider that lives partly
IN the surface and partly below IT, II has
Ifetty home like silver globe as light
as air, which sometimes rises TO the tor
and sometimes is moored down under the
water by silken threads.
The dweller in this fairy palace is also
| Its architect. having spun its shining
| walls from itself, for the spider carries in.
| side wonderful store of silk with threads
| so fine that 10 is said 10 take thousands of
them to make the thickness of a hair Its
feet are like delicate combs, which Olsen
tangle the threads and remove any minute
specks, and our diver, who goes from the
air above into the shining water below
travels by his own private railway to and
fro, and after he has arrived no doubt he,
like other spiders, gathers up the thread
into silken ball and throws IL aside. 1t
would never do to leave the road open for
any insect tramps that might be coming
that way.
The dragon fly lives in the water dur.
ing one stage Of its life and In the air
turing another The eggs are laid on the
leaves OF water plants. When the larva of
4 dragon fly appears it Is a very queer
creature indeed In the first place, 1t
bles or jaws and when 1t sees anything
that 1t would like to capture for its din
ner IL suddenly unfolds this mask and
throws 1t forward. 1t has two sharp claws
that Instantly seize the prey.
1t also draws in and sends forth water
moving in this way, and taking i'm the air
In the water for breathing purposes For
nearly year it lives in the water world;
finn
climbs up the stem of some tall water
plant that rises above the surface, and in
about two hours throws off the old ugly
body and darts away-an inhabitant of
the air world for the rest of its life-on
four gossamer wings, glitterng with
many beautiful colors like those of shin.
ing silver and bronze.
1t flies rs swiftly as a swallow, and has
long, slender body and large eyes, cut
with many sides like diamond, and on a
sunshiny day you may see many of them
catching their prey OH the wing, If you
should put it back into the water world of
its childhood, it would die
The ephemeride, or flies that live only
in the air world for day, spend as many
as two or three years in the water, having
something like gills to breath with They
have chrysals as well as larva state,
though they are active i'm each. 1t is called
their chrysalis state while their wings are
forming, Though these are never unfolded
until they leave their first home forever.
1t is marvellous to see with what swift
ness they make their change. When the
time comes, they throw off the old skin
more quickly than a man can take off his
overcoat 10y good deal, unfold their new
wings, and with their feet resting on their
castoh body dart away into the beautiful |
new world. They love the sunshine or
any shining light and dance and circle |
merrily in crowds about it.
think II an elf or fairy could be taken |
out OF his story book world he would find |
just as marvellous and |
palaces Just as beautiful in the real world |
OF nature. Philadelphia Times.