leaves.

Now we must go home.

Good-by, green frog, you may come back to your log now.

Good-by, pretty dragon fly people, we shall never forget you.

Good-by, pleasant pond and moss-grown log, we hope to see you often
again.

[Illustration]

THE FAIRY MAY FLIES

[Illustration]

Come, children, and see! Hundreds and hundreds of them are dancing
about.

What are they? Yes, May, they do make us think of the dragon flies, but
they are like fairy demoiselles.

They are the May flies, fairy ships sailing in the sea of air.

See how they are tossed about.

Many have fallen to the ground, which is covered with them.

They live but a day, or sometimes only a few hours, and so they are
called day flies, and also ephemerae, which means short-lived.

They have eyes, as you can see, little round eyes, but their mouth is so
tiny they cannot eat.

Strange little beings to come into the world so helpless!

How different from the strong, fierce dragon flies!

See their dainty little legs. Six, you see, and legs and wings grow out
from the thorax.

Have they an abdomen?

See the long threads at the end of it, they look like slender tails. How
they spread these threads out as they fly!

They have four wings, but the wings are not shaped like those of the
dragon fly, and they are very much more delicate.

[Illustration: DRAGON FLY WINGS.]

[Illustration: MAY FLY WINGS.]

Yes, May, I agree with you, they look like fine lace.

The fore wings, you see, are larger than the hind ones.

Richard asks, "Where do May flies come from? and why are they called May
flies?"

Now, Richard, one question at a time, if you please, and the last shall
come first because it is easier to answer.

They are called May flies because they often come out in the month of
May, though sometimes not until June, and some species are as late as
July in appearing.

[Illustration]

We shall have to look into the ponds and little streams to discover
where they come from.

See, John has scooped up some little speckled grubs out of the mud. Is
it possible that _they_ are the larvae of our fairy May flies? _They_
have a mouth!--see what big jaws for such little creatures.

And what do you suppose they eat?

No doubt they, too, live on animal food.

No doubt they move about in the mud and catch what they can.

You see, John had to dig them up; they like to burrow in the weeds and
mud, and some of them even make tunnels of m