believe, a second brood sometimes is produced in July. The
nests of the Reed-bunting are difficult to find, at least, I have
seldom been successful. You know how cunning the peewit is in trying
to lead people away from its nest or young ones. Well, some observers
have remarked the same thing in the case of the reed-bunting. One
writer says, "Walking last spring amongst some rushes growing near a
river my attention was arrested by observing a black-headed bunting
shuffling through the rushes and trailing along the ground, as if one
of her legs or wings was broken. I followed her to see the result, and
she, having led me to some considerable distance, took wing, no doubt
much rejoiced on return to find her stratagems had been successful in
preserving her young brood." "Ha! ha!" interrupted Jack, "the
gentleman was nicely deceived then." No, not entirely, because he goes
on to say he afterwards found the nest, which had five young ones in
it. One thing more I ought to tell you; not to confuse the
reed-bunting with the reed-warbler, a very different bird, which very
probably we may notice in to-day's ramble.

[Illustration: WHIRLIGIG BEETLE, MAGNIFIED.]

We now had another look into the canal, and saw numerous little
whirligig beetles, performing their merry-go-rounds on the top of the
water. With what amazing rapidity they skim along, to be sure! Some
diving beneath the surface, some resting on a water leaf. If we catch
one in our net and examine it more closely we shall see that, in form,
it is like a miniature boat. It seems surprising that these little
"whirligigs," "whirl-wigs," or "shiners," as they are called, should
perform their rounds so closely together, without sometimes coming
into collision. If you will look ever so long a time you will not see
one animated boat run foul of another. Just think of a couple of
hundred skaters on a small piece of ice playing at cros-stick. Oh!
would they not be constantly knocking one another over?

[Illustration: HEAD OF WHIRLIGIG BEETLE, MAGNIFIED.

_a._ Mouth. _b, c._ Eye.]

Now look at Mr. Whirligig's eyes, you see each is separated into two
parts by a division; the one is on the upper part of the head and
looks towards the sky, the other is on the under part of the head and
looks into the water. Now let us all keep quite still--the whirligigs
rest. Now let us move--just look, they see our motions and off they
start on their merry-go-rounds. It was with this upper par