THIS toy, when drawn across the floor, wiggles and twists in a lifelike and terrifying manner, and all by the action of a common spool peculiarly fixed.

The body of the bug has fastened to it at the front by pivots a head part, as at H, to which are attached the front legs L and a tail part T with the hind legs fastened thereto. In the body part between the two is a spool S with a slanting groove N in it, and the weight rests on this spool when the toy is in motion.

This spool is pivoted on nail bearings n in side pieces t, shown dotted in Figure 1, so that when the toy is drawn over the floor, the spool revolves. Fastened to the head piece, as at w, - driven into the rear end of it, in fact, - is a nail whose head rests in the slanting groove N in the spool S. The head part pivots at b, turning on a nail at this point, so that now you can understand the action.

When the spool S turns, the nail head must follow it from side to side. As the nail m is moved from side to side on its head end by the groove, the head of the toy, on the other end, is wiggled from side to side on the pivot b, with the legs attached to it moving at the same time in a very lifelike manner.

In the same way the tail part is fixed, pivoted at a point b also, and with a nail m bearing in the same groove N of the spool. The tail part will move in the opposite direction from the head, however, as the nail working it will be on the opposite side of the groove. It is this opposite motion which gives the toy its lifelike appearance as you draw it across the floor.

The body part of the bug is made of cigar-box wood, the top and bottom piece being made semicircular at each end with a hole for the pivot nail at B. The lower piece F has an opening for the spool to stick through.

The head and tail pieces are cut of inch wood, and weight will not hinder, for the toy will need enough weight so that the spool will turn and not slide when it is drawn across the floor. Make the legs L of tin or pasteboard and fasten them in place with small tacks.

The spool part is easily fixed. First get a large spool. Saw across it an at angle as by the line a-d in Figure 3. Then fit a tight wooden axle to the spool, spreading the halves of the spool apart so that a space a little wider than the head of the nail you are going to use for m is left between. Then set the spool to the shaft with glue. Nails n in the centers of the shaft ends will act as pivots for the spool.

The rest of the making can be easily under-stood from the drawing. When the nails m are set, be sure they are in the slot in the spool at just the right depth, and that they do not bind while turning in the spools.

The amount of fun one can have with this toy depends on its lifelike appearance, so be careful in making it.