“Now, how do you think this beetle managed to get out of the tank and travel all that way?” Uncle George asked. “It must have crawled up the inside of the tank, then down the outside. Then it must have fallen off the window-sill, and crawled right across the floor,” said Frank. Uncle George shook his head. “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. [Illustration: 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? VII.—DAISIES. While Uncle George and Frank and Tom were having a game of cricket, Dolly was amusing herself in another way. She had pulled a bunch of daisies and was joining them up into a daisy chain. [Illustration: Common Daisy.] She finished her daisy chain just as her uncle and the boys finished their game. “We will take some daisies home,” said Uncle George. He stooped down and dug out a whole daisy plant with his knife, while Dolly gathered a small bunch of the flowers. When they got home Uncle George placed his daisy plant in a saucer of water, and told the boys to bring out their magnifiers and sketch-books. “First of all,” he said, “I want you to look at the daisy plant. Notice its leaves. Each leaf is broad at the end and narrow where it joins the plant. Notice also that the leaves all form a round green mat on the ground. Now, can you tell me what the leaf resembles in shape.” [Illustration] 1. Daisy Leaf. 2. Primrose Leaf. 3. Cowslip Leaf.