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The Fairy May Flies (COME children and see Hundreds)

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 ephemeræ, 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.

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

The fore wings, you see, are