“These are caddis ‘worms,’” said Uncle George. He placed them in the second jar, and filled it up with water.
Tom then saw that each of the “sticks” was really a little house, in which was an insect of some sort.
The cases were built of all kinds of odds and ends, glued together by the clever creatures that lived inside them.
Some were built of little pieces of rush or water-weed, others of tiny shells, and others of very small stones.
Each case was open at one end, and from this end the little dweller came almost half-way out. They could see his head, his legs, and the fore part of his body as he moved along, dragging his little house after him.
“Uncle George, come here please,” Frank shouted from the other side of the pond. “Oh, such a funny animal—a fish with legs.”
“A fish with legs?” said Uncle George, laughing. “Oh, we must come and see that.”
“Why, that isn’t a fish, Frank. It is a newt.” And Uncle George put in the net to catch him. But the creature was too quick for him. It darted out of sight.
“Here are two others. Oh, such big ones,” said Tom, in a loud whisper.
This time Uncle George was luckier. When he drew up the net there were two large creatures like lizards in it.