The Insect Folk

by Margaret Warner Morley

They spring out all of a sudden and fly away, leaving their cast-off skin in the pond.

Unless their motions were quick they might be snapped up by the fish that are so fond of them.

But though they seem to emerge thus quickly into perfect winged May flies, they are not quite done with infancy. They are still wrapped about by a very delicate skin that they have to get rid of. So they fly to a bush near the water and stay a little while until this skin splits and comes off, and they are free.

In spite of their quick motions when they spring from the water, many of the May flies fall back into it and are caught by the fish.

It is said that the trout become fat and good-flavored when the May flies emerge, they eat so many of them. And what the fish do not catch the birds try to. Swallows and other insect-loving birds have a glorious feast when the May flies come out. For a season they live in the midst of more delicacies than they can possibly use.

Fish like the May fly larvæ, too, which is probably the reason the larvæ have learned to live in the mud, out of reach.

Fishermen dig up the larvæ for bait, so you see the May flies have a hard time to get safely through the world.

But in spite of difficulties a great many of them live, and some summer day out they come trooping.