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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (June 6, 1962)
WEDNESDAY. JUNE 6. 1962 MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON Small Worlds Around Us CO m o 19 A Igoogl 71 W C C3 j3 HI 52 o P m p 39 rn r cn rn go sO 63 3 2 H m O 53 CP! I) 3 m sg mmnm Vr E to ' (Rtfliter A Tribune Syndicate, 19821 Hera's Insect That Skates Over Sutiact of Water Is They look for all the world like a group of crazy spiders skating on the surface of the pond. However, if you are quick enough to catch one of the agile little creatures you will notice It has only six legs, while a spider has eight This is a "water-stridcr" 3 i 1 1 nil m Umum mm. and the name fits for they actually do walk on the wa ter. Thev .skate over the sur face like boys skating on ice. While we are holding the : little fellow, being careful he doesn't bite, we see his un derside is silvery white. An enemy, looking up from the deep pond water, has trouble locating the stridor, his white under surface more or less matches the light above. Brown on Top ' The upper part of the elon 1 gated body is dark brown " which from above resembles somewhat the dark water , The eyes are large. There is : a pair of elongated forelegs. ; suitable for grasping insects , on which the strider feeds The rear legs are long, they are mostly used as steering , oars, while the middle pair of legs are the running gear Witii these in full motion the , water strider moves with con siderable speed. With the aid of a magnify ing glass we can see the un derpart of the body Is cover ed with fine hairs. These keep the body from getting wet. If we have a sufficiently strong glass and a brightly colored specimen we may make a startling discovery. We may see dozens of tiny, eight-legged mites crawling around in the hair. These arc tiny parasites whose combin ed numbers give the strider a distinct and unnatural col oration. Probably these miles cause no end of discomfort to the water stridor, but ap parently there is no easy way the insect can free itself from them. Carefully we turn our spe cimen over and drop him or her back into the waters of the home-pond. Immediately he skates away, In a big hur ry and in a whirling dance as easily as a crab scurries over a sandy beach, his fly ing feet barely dimpling the surface of the water. Beady To Grab As we watch it and the others skating there, we no tice they all hold their fore legs out In front of the body, ready to grasp any luckless bug they may overtake. Some may even leap into the air a few inches to grab a low flying midge. Regardless of how long we watch these rapidly moving Insects, we remain fascinat ed by the ease with which they walk on the water, their feet barely dimpling the wa ter film. Strange indeed is the life history of this common insect that Inhabits freshwater ponds and streams: stranger still is the fact there is u species of water-stridcr that lives and skates over the sur face of warm sea water. Many have been observed, miles from the nearest shore gaily skating over the surf ace of a warm sea. Bey Scouts Cold Hill - Cub Master James Kenncy presented ad vancements to several Scouts during a Cub Scout Pack 43 meeting May 23. The Bob cat induction cere mony was held for Buddy Post new Cub Scout In Den 3. Tommy Carigan received rtenner bars; Gary Cole, wolf badge; George Kenncy, wolf badge and gold arrow; Ken ncy Wyatt, assistant denncr bar and lion badge; Luther Gann, denner bars and bear badge. The program was opened by Cub Scouts of Den 3 with the pledge, and the audience sing ing America. The following skits present ed by the dens were entitled; Marching Song, Den 1; Gar dening We Will Go, Den 2; "Fun Songs," Den 3. Lyle McGrady committee man chairman conducted brief business session during which time plans for a pet show to take place at next pack meeting were discussed. The next Pack meeting will be held Saturday, June 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the multi-purpose room t Patrick school. ADVANCED Robert L. Miller, aviation electronics techniciai. second class, USN, son of Mrs. Isa belle H. Miller, 2252 Fowler lane, Mcdford, was advanced 1o his rale recently while serving with Patrol Squadron i 2 at the Whidbey Island Na val Air illation, Oak Harbor, I Wash. i , B r j : , S - 3 m O g K . .CO ij a r, B g 5 3 . wm : : : "i " : : v " : m H'-ji I 1 1 1. .1 m IjXw S0 grasps3 "fes ca .' .a S ss us ) v 2 CD 3 h . I S rP F TV OR H S S J5. f " . shS ir43 frw r--.. r??K as .1, &ssog5 2 lw4J r i inn) 5 I sg.? i,! (? iH vrr Si K co I li l Sl rs Vb 1 w 1' F3 lils K53 5"Sa ajaS. H'-" : 1,3 L25! lis m I .his "lf! i srt! "5i5 " B r-)r I i li f h I Bj m rs-i -" 2 Da s 2 S -aSE (yy :sssi I 55 : : s I ::ss2l :e S V) Innl H gJJ L' II I ii i 111 i miii mi urn inn mi un 1. r-T-T-i 3 mm rwm$imwm mfUmi iitl miiimi ,TjHZZ.,m ., ,i , ! ZJl S rG3 55s SrlS: aSa " r- E u a ' .JS - f 3 - J y 1
