“It might,” he said, “have managed to crawl up to the edge of the tank so long as its legs were wet. But as its long legs are made for swimming, and not for crawling with, I can hardly see how it could have crawled or walked all that distance.”
“Then how did it get there, Uncle George?”
In answer to Frank’s question, his uncle took the dead beetle, and placed it on a piece of paper on the table. He next moved aside each of the large black wing-cases with a pin.
Underneath these wing-cases the boys saw a pair of large wings neatly folded up. Uncle George removed one of the wing-cases, and unfolded one of the wings. Stretched out, it was longer than the beetle’s body, and it seemed to be made up of thin, clear skin, stretched on a framework of long, thin supports.
“Why, these beetles can fly,” said Tom.
Male and Female Beetles, showing Flying Wings.
“Of course they can,” said his uncle. “All beetles can fly. This creature has evidently been flying about the room all night. These insects are furnished with wings, so that they may be able to fly to another pool when food gets scarce, or when their pool dries up.”
Exercises on Lesson VI.
1. Would you keep water beetles, tadpoles, and stickle-backs together? Give your reasons. 2. Water beetles cannot live without air. Explain how they get it. 3. Compare the legs of a water beetle with those of any of our garden beetles. 4. Why are water beetles furnished with wings?