File:Birds and nature (1900) (14775459133).jpg

from the collections of Chicago Academy of Sciences

Identifier: birdsnature811900chic (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds Natural history
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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hich breathe air, as the surfacefilm insects, yet seek their food below thesurface. These insects are compelled, onaccount of their air-breathing habits, to-repeatedly visit the surface or communi-cate in some way with a fresh supply ofair. We have two families of the large-sizedwater beetles, common in our ponds andstreams. The Predaceous water-beetlesand the W^ater-scavenger beetles. Theseare easily recognized, because in the for-mer, the antennae are thread-like and notenlarged at the tip. While the membersof the Water-scavenger family have theantennae enlarged or club-shaped at thetip. The Predaceous water-beetles areoften quite common under electriclights, where they have been at-tracted by the intense light. Theirlarge size and clumsy movements,when out of water, attract attention. Butwhen seen in water their skill as swim-mers is in striking contrast to their awk-ward movements made on land. The hindlegs are flattened and very powerful, thesurface being increased by a fringe of
Text Appearing After Image:
Archimeius calcarator Oiicopeltus fasciatus Ranatia fusca Gal>;ulus oculatus Neztira hilaris Leptuttlussus phyllopiis l!eiiacil< j;ii-ieiis ZHus liiliilMis Metapodeus femoratus Conoiliinus saiiguisugus Cicada septeindecim Platycotis sa:i,iltata. INSECTS 29 strong hairs on the inner side. In swim-ming the stroke is made by both legs atonce. Perhaps the most interesting factsabout these beetles are those associatedwith their method of breathing. The horny wing cases covering the ab-domen are very thick and fit close againstthe abdomen^rcxcept at the extreme pos-terior end of the body. The space be-tween the wing cases and the upper sur-face of the abdomen forms a large airspace. The spiracles, or openings intothe respiratory system, are situated at themargins of the upper side of the abdo-men. When the beetle comes to the sur-face for a fresh supply of air it exposesthe tip of the body and then by a depres-sion of the tip of the abdomen allows afresh supply of air to enter into th

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