,illustration3 ,the ,toad may be rough and warty in appearance but worth its weight in gold as a destroyer of insect pests4 ,note the expression of satisfaction after a successful night of foraging for cutworms and ,june-beetles4 ,,an ,,elementary ,,study ,,of ,,insects ,by ,,leonard ,,haseman ,professor of ,entomology in the ,university of ,missouri ,columbia1 ,missouri ,,missouri ,,book ,,company #aibc ,,contents4 ,,introduction ,,chapter ,i ,,insects3 7#a7 ,what they are4 7#b7 ,their principal characteristics4 7#c7 ,their methods of developing4 7#d7 ,the principal orders4 7#e7 ,their habits4 7#f7 ,their role in agriculture4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,collecting ,,insects3 7#a7 ,directions for collecting4 7#b7 ,pinning and preserving a collection4 7#c7 ,rearing and observing them while alive4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,grasshopper3 7#a7 ,brief discussion of the grasshopper4 7#b7 ,field studies4 7#c7 ,breeding cage observations4 7#d7 ,study of specimen4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,house ,,fly ,,or ,,typhoid ,,fly3 7#a7 ,discussion of the life cycle of the fly1 its habits1 danger from it and how it can be stamped out4 7#b7 ,study of the fly and its work4 ,,chapter ,v ,,the ,,mosquito3 7#a7 ,brief discussion of the life habits and stages of the mosquito4 7#b7 ,observations and study4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,the ,,cabbage ,,miller3 7#a7 ,brief discussion of the caterpillar1 the chrysalis1 the butterfly1 and its work4 7#b7 ,observations and study4 7#c7 ,breeding work4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,the ,,apple ,,worm3 7#a7 ,brief discussion of the different stages of the pest1 its work and remedies for its control4 7#b7 ,observations and breeding work4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,the ,,tomato ,,or ,,tobacco ,,worm3 7#a7 ,brief discussion of stages1 work and habits4 7#b7 ,study and observation4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,the ,,firefly3 7#a7 ,brief discussion of the insect4 7#b7 ,observations and studies4 ,,chapter ,x ,,the ,,white ,,grub ,,or ,,june-,,bug3 7#a7 ,discussion of the insect as a pest and its habits and stages4 7#b7 ,observations and studies4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,the ,,colorado ,,potato ,,beetle3 7#a7 ,brief discussion of the pest4 7#b7 ,observations and studies4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,the ,,lady-,,beetle3 7#a7 ,brief discussion of habits and appearance of the lady-beetles1 and their value as friends4 7#b7 ,observations and studies4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,the ,,dragon-,,fly3 7#a7 ,discussion of life and habits of insect4 7#b7 ,observations and field studies4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,the ,,squash ,,bug3 7#a7 ,discussion of habits1 injury and control of pest4 7#b7 ,observations and field studies4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,the ,,plant-,,louse3 7#a7 ,discussion of habits1 injury and control of pest4 7#b7 ,observations and field studies4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,the ,,honey ,,bee3 7#a7 ,discussion of the honey bee as to habits in its home and outdoors1 its value to man and the colony as a village4 7#b7 ,observations and studies4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,the ,,ant3 7#a7 ,discussion of ant life and behavior1 the colony as a unit1 its work and remarkable instincts4 7#b7 ,studies and observations4 ,,introduction ,in the preparation of a book of this nature1 to be used in the grade schools1 we realize that the one fundamental thing to keep in mind is the economic importance of the insect1 be it good or bad4 ,the child wants to know what is good and what is bad and how he can make use of the good and how he can get rid of the bad4 ,and yet there is something more associated with the life1 work and development of each tiny insect4 ,there is a story--a story of growth1 not unlike that of the developing child1 a story of courage1 strife and ultimate success or failure1 which is as interesting and of greater value to the child than many of the stories of adventure and of historical facts4 ,snatches of these stories will appear in the following chapters along with the studies on insects and their economic importance4 ,in the development of our grade school system1 especially in the rural districts1 there is a growing demand for some practical work along with the regular cultural studies4 ,to the child in the rural schools1 practical knowledge naturally tends toward agriculture4 ,many of these boys and girls do not have a chance to pursue studies beyond the grades and it therefore becomes necessary to introduce some elementary agriculture into the grades to supply the natural craving of this vast assemblage of children in the rural schools of our land4 ,in the search for a study which will give unlimited scope for independent thought and observation and which will lead the child to understand better the forces of nature that affect agriculture1 nothing is so readily available and attractive to the child as nature study1 an elementary study of the natural sciences4 ,in fact agriculture is primarily a course in nature study where we study how plants and animals struggle for existence4 ,there is a period in the life of every child when he is especially susceptible to the call of the fields2 when he roams through woods or by shady brooks gathering flowers1 fishing for mud-cats and cleaning out bumble-bees' nests4 ,it is often compared with the life of the savage and is merely the outward expression of an inward craving for a closer relation with nature and her creatures4 ,if one can reach a child while at that age he has a ready listener and an apt pupil4 ,that is the time to guide and instruct the child along the line of nature study4 ,the most important questions confronting the average teacher in the grade schools are3 ,what material shall ,i use and how shall ,i proceed to direct the child along this line8 ,first of all use that material which is most readily available1 which is most familiar to the child and which will attract and hold his attention4 ,there is nothing so readily available and so generally interesting to both boys and girls as are the thousands of fluttering1 buzzing1 hopping and creeping forms of insects4 ,they are present everywhere1 in all seasons and are known to every child of the city or farm4 ,they are easily observed in the field and can be kept in confinement for study4 ,many of them are of the greatest importance to man2 a study of them becomes of special value4 ,in pursuing a study of nature and her creatures one should go into the woods and fields as much as possible and study them where they are found4 ,in this way one can determine how they live together1 what they feed on and the various other questions which the inquisitive mind of a healthy child will ask4 ,when field work is not possible1 gather the insects and keep them alive in jars where they can be fed and observed4 ,some forms cannot be kept in confinement and in such cases samples should be killed and pinned1 thereby forming a collection for study4 ,most of the forms which are included in the following chapters can be kept in confinement in glass jars or studies out doors4 ,the studies have been made so general that in case the particular form mentioned is not available any closely related form can be used4 ,each child should make a small collection of living and pinned insects for study and should be encouraged to observe insects and their work in the field4 ,the collections and many of the observations could be made to good advantage during the summer vacation when the insects are most abundant and active4 ,pupils should not be encouraged merely to make observations1 but they should be required to record them as well4 ,brief descriptions of the appearance and development of insects1 the injury they do1 and remedies for the same1 will help fix in mind facts which otherwise might soon be forgotten4 ,drawings1 whenever possible1 should also be required4 ,the pupil who can record observations accurately with drawings will not soon forget them4 ,the teacher should therefore require each pupil to provide himself with a note-book for keeping brief1 but accurate notes and careful drawings4 ,the drawings should be made with a hard lead pencil on un-ruled paper1 the size of the note-book1 and the pupils should be encouraged to be neat and accurate4 ,the author wishes to take this opportunity of expressing his deep appreciation for the many helpful suggestions and other assistance which ,mr4 ,r4 ,h4 ,emberson1 superintendent of ,boys and ,girls ,club ,work in ,missouri1 has given4 ,it was his life-long devotion to the boys and girls of the grade schools and his keen appreciation of their needs that lead him first to suggest to the author the importance of preparing this little book for their use4 ,,leonard ,,haseman ,university of ,missouri4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the study of entomology is one of the most fascinating of pursuits4 ,it takes its votaries into the treasure-houses of ,nature1 and explains some of the wonderful series of links which form the great chain of creation4 ,it lays open before us another world1 of which we have been hitherto unconscious1 and shows us that the tiniest insect1 so small perhaps that the unaided eye can scarcely see it1 has its work to do in the world1 and does it4 --,,rev4 ,j4 ,g4 ,,wood4 ,,chapter ,i ,,insects ,there is a difference between a grub and a butterfly2 yet your butterfly was a grub4 --,,shakespeare4 ,in undertaking a study of insects it is well first of all to know something about what they are1 their general nature1 appearance1 habits and development4 ,the insects comprise the largest group of animals on the globe4 ,there are about four times as many different kinds of insects as all other kinds of animals combined4 ,insects vary greatly in size4 ,some are as large as small birds1 while others are so small that a thousand placed in one pile would not equal the size of a pea4 ,insects are commonly spoken of as bugs4 ,this term1 however1 is properly used only when referring to the one order of insects which includes the sap and blood-sucking insects such as the chinch bug1 bed-bug1 squash bug1 and the like4 ,then too1 there are many so-called bugs which are not insects at all4 ,spiders1 thousand-legs1 crawfishes and even earth-worms are often spoken of as bugs4 ,what ,they ,are ,illustration3 ,side view of grasshopper with wings and legs partly removed4 ,note the division of the body into head1 thorax1 composed of prothorax1 mesothorax and metathorax1 and abdomen consisting of ring-like segments4 ,insects are variously formed1 but as a rule the mature ones have three and only three pairs of legs1 one pair of feelers1 one pair of large eyes1 and one or two pairs of wings4 ,the body is divided into a head1 thorax and abdomen4 ,the head bears the eyes1 feelers and mouth1 the thorax bears the legs and wings1 and the abdomen is made up of a number of segments4 ,the presence of wings at once decides whether or not it is an insect1 for1 aside from bats and birds1 insects alone have true wings4 ,these are the distinguishing characters of the full grown insect1 but1 like birds1 they hatch from eggs and while young do not always look like their parents4 ,when young they may take on various shapes as caterpillars1 borers1 maggots1 grubs1 hoppers1 and the like4 ,young insects are often difficult to distinguish from true worms1 centipedes1 snails1 and such forms1 but after one has collected and reared some of the young and watched them pass through the different stages and emerge with wings they are much more easily recognized4 ,their ,principal ,characteristics ,illustration3 ,face of grasshopper enlarged showing parts2 ant41 antenna2 eye1 compound eye2 oc41 ocellus or simple eye2 cl41 clypeus2 lbr41 labrum or upper lip2 mx4 p41 maxillary palpus2 lb4 p41 labial palpus2 lab41 labium or lower lip4 ,young insects as a rule are soft like caterpillars and maggots1 while the old ones usually have a hard body wall1 similar to the beetles and wasps4 ,the wings are usually thin and transparent though in some cases they are leathery or hard as in case of beetles or covered with scales as in the butterflies4 ,the three pairs of legs are jointed and used for running1 climbing1 jumping1 swimming1 digging or grasping4 ,the feelers or antennae are usually threadlike1 clubbed1 or resemble a feather and extend forward or sidewise from the head4 ,the large eyes are compound1 being made up of many great small units which1 when magnified1 resemble honey-comb4 ,in some cases two or three small bead-like eyes may be present besides the two large eyes4 ,the mouth parts of insects may be formed for chewing1 as in the grasshopper1 or for sucking up liquids1 as in the mosquito4 ,the mouth of an insect is built on an entirely different plan from our own4 ,chewing insects have an upper and lower lip and between these there are two pairs of grinding jaws4 ,these jaws are hinged at the side of the face and when chewing they come together from either side so as to meet in the middle of the mouth4 ,they therefore work sidewise rather than up and down4 ,the mouth parts of the sucking insects are drawn out to form a sucking tube or proboscis as in case of the butterfly or mosquito4 ,illustration3 ,mouth parts of grasshopper shown in relative position2 lbr41 labrum2 md41 mandibles2 hyp41 hypopharynx2 max41 maxillae2 lab41 labium4 ,illustration3 ,leg of grasshopper showing segmentation4 ,the basal segment c1 is the coxa1 the next t1 the trochanter1 the large segment f1 the femur1 the long slender one ti1 the tibia1 and the three jointed tarsus ta1 with claws at the tip4 ,the internal organs of insects are similar to those of other animals4 ,the digestive tube consists of oesophagus1 gizzard1 or stomach1 and intestines4 ,the nervous system is well developed as shown by the extreme sensitiveness of insects to touch4 ,the brain is comparatively small except in the bees and ants4 ,the circulatory system consists simply of a long tube heart1 the blood vessels being absent4 ,in this way the internal organs of the insect are simply bathed in the blood4 ,the system of respiration is most complicated4 ,the air is taken in through pores usually along the side of the body and is then carried through fine tracheal tubes to all parts of the body4 ,you cannot drown an insect by putting its head under water1 since it does not breathe through its mouth4 ,the muscular system is similar to that of other animals which have the skeleton on the outside4 ,illustration3 ,the internal organs of the honey bee4 ,note the strong wing muscles in the thorax4 ,the tube-like heart begins in the head and extends back through the thorax and follows the curve of the abdomen4 ,below the heart is the digestive tube consisting of the slender oesophagus which extends back to the expanded honey stomach1 in which the bee carries the nectar it collects from flowers1 then the curled true stomach1 the small intestine and expanded large intestine4 ,below this is the nervous system consisting of the brain and a chain of connected enlargements or ganglia extending back into the abdomen in the lower part of the body4 ,the respiratory system in part appears just above the honey stomach1 and the black circular or oval spots are cross sections of connecting air tubes1 which run all through the body4 ,also note the sting with the poison gland and sack which are pulled out with the sting2 also the sucking tube for getting honey from flowers1 and the structures on the legs for gathering and carrying pollen2 the pollen basket is on the back side of the hind leg4 ,their ,methods of ,developing ,in most cases the parent insect deposits small eggs which hatch later into the young insects4 ,in some cases1 as with the blow-flies1 the maggot may hatch from the egg while yet in the parent's body1 when the active larva is born alive4 ,whether the egg hatches before or after it is deposited1 the young insect continues to develop in one of three ways4 ,it may resemble the parent and simply grow as does a kitten1 or it may look somewhat like its parent though smaller and without wings1 as the young grasshopper1 or it may bear no resemblance whatever to the parent1 as the caterpillar which feeds and grows and finally spins a cocoon in which it passes to the resting chrysalis stage and later emerges with wings4 ,the development of insects is therefore extremely complicated4 ,illustration3 ,the chinch bug showing development with incomplete metamorphosis2 a1 egg2 b1 first nymph2 c1 second nymph2 d1 third nymph2 e1 fourth nymph2 f1 adult winged bug2 g1 chinch bugs extracting sap from corn plant4 ,to control this pest burn over all winter harboring places and use chemical or dust barriers following wheat harvest4 ,the ,principal ,orders ,in order to study a group of animals which includes so many thousand different kinds it is necessary to divide them into a number of sharply defined divisions or orders4 ,all animal life is naturally grouped into such divisions and subdivisions4 ,among the insects we at once detect seven large1 sharply defined divisions or orders1 and ten or more smaller ones4 ,of these we have first1 the two-winged true flies2 second1 the four-winged butterflies and moths2 third1 the hard-backed beetles2 fourth1 the stinging four-winged wasps and bees2 fifth1 the variously formed sucking insects or true bugs1 as chinch bugs and bed-bugs2 sixth1 the rapid-flying four-winged snake doctors or dragon-flies and1 seventh1 the hopping forms1 the grasshoppers4 ,besides these we have the various smaller orders of water-loving insects1 fleas1 etc4 ,the seven groups mentioned above include the majority of our common forms and in the studies to follow we will include only representatives from these orders4 ,illustration3 ,the ,hessian fly showing development with complete metamorphosis2 a1 egg2 b1 larva or maggot2 c1 flax-seed stage2 d1 pupa2 e1 adult winged fly2 f1 wheat stubble with flax-seed stages near base taken after harvest4 ,to control this pest1 plow under stubble after harvest2 keep down all volunteer wheat and sow wheat after fly-free date in the fall4 ,their ,habits ,the habits of insects are as varied as their forms and adaptations4 ,some live in the water all their life1 others spend a part of their life under water1 others live the care-free life of the open air1 others enjoy feeding upon and living in the foulest of filth1 others associate themselves with certain definite crops or animals thereby doing untold injury1 while others produce food and other materials which are to be used by man for his comfort4 ,every imaginable nook and crook1 from the depths of lakes to the tops of mountains1 from the warm1 sunny south to the cold frigid north1 from the foul damp swamps to the heart of our desert lands1 offers a home for some small insect4 ,the most striking habits and developments among insects is found in the more highly advanced families of bees and ants where definite insect societies are formed1 resembling in many respects human societies and human activities4 ,among these villages are established1 homes built1 battles fought1 slaves made1 herds kept by shepherds1 and even fields cultivated4 ,in these groups we have the nearest approach to human intelligence4 ,their ,role in ,agriculture ,some insects may be very destructive to crops1 others are beneficial1 while the majority of insects are of no importance to man or agriculture4 ,the various forms of pests such as the chinch bug1 potato beetles1 and others do an enormous amount of damage each year4 ,they destroy hundreds of millions of dollars worth of crops annually in the ,united ,states alone4 ,they devour enough to pay for the entire cost of running the school system of our country and nearly enough to meet all the expenses of our government4 ,in view of these facts it is the duty of each and every farmer1 young or old1 to acquaint himself with these destructive pests and prepare himself for combating them4 ,with a knowledge of the methods of controlling these pests much of this enormous loss can be prevented4 ,while some insects are extremely injurious1 others are very helpful4 ,the products of the honey bee in the ,united ,states alone amount to several million dollars a year1 to say nothing of its value to the farmer in pollinating fruits4 ,the annual output of silk1 all of which is spun by the silkworm1 is worth millions of dollars4 ,many other forms are of value to man by producing material of commercial value such as lac1 shellack1 dyes1 medicines1 etc4 ,of all the beneficial insects those which are of greatest value to man are the parasites and similar forms which help to keep in check many of the severest pests of the farm4 ,insects are not all bad fellows by any means4 ,one must acquaint himself with those which are good and those which are bad before he can hope to deal with them intelligently4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and with childlike credulous affection ,we behold those tender wings expand1 ,emblems of our own great resurrection1 ,emblems of the bright and better land4 --,,longfellow4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,collecting ,,insects ,does he who searches ,nature's secrets scruple ,to stick a pin into an insect8 --,a4 ,g4 ,,oehlenschlaeger4 ,in the life of every normal human there comes a time when he wishes to make a collection of some kind4 ,it may be a collection of coins1 postage stamps1 post-cards1 shells1 relics1 birds' eggs1 pressed flowers or insects4 ,if the child grows up in the country1 the result of this craving is usually three or four cigar boxes of insects or an almanac or geography stuffed with the most attractive wild flowers of the field4 ,a collection of this sort may be small and poorly kept and yet it is worth while4 ,in later life one will search in his mother's closet or attic for the old cigar boxes which contain the remains of youthful efforts1 usually a mass of gaudy wings1 fragments of insect legs and bodies and a few rusty pins4 ,this desire to make a collection is natural and should be encouraged in the child4 ,it tends to make him observe closely and creates an interest in things about him1 and if properly directed it will add a store of information which can be gotten in no other way4 ,directions for ,collecting ,many boys and girls of the rural schools will have little time or inclination to provide themselves with apparatus for collecting insects4 ,an old straw hat or a limb will serve their purpose4 ,from their point of view what difference does it make if they tear off most of the legs and break the wings8 ,they succeed in securing the bug and when pinned in the box it will mean just about as much to them as the most perfect specimen ever prepared4 ,illustration3 ,a convenient home-made net for catching insects2 note the broom-stick handle1 heavy twisted wire and mosquito net bag4 ,this method of catching insects will prove effective where nothing better is available1 but any child can easily make a small insect net by attaching a loop of fairly stiff wire to a broom handle or other stick and sewing a bag of mosquito netting or other thin cloth to the wire4 ,by means of such a net one can catch insects more easily and at the same time there is less danger of tearing such insects as butterflies4 ,care must be taken in handling the stinging insects4 ,illustration3 ,a cyanide jar for killing insects2 note the lumps of the deadly poison potassium cyanide in the bottom covered and sealed by a layer of plaster of ,paris4 ,the country boy and girl will have little trouble getting hold of insects1 but they are often puzzled when it comes to killing them4 ,it seems cruel to pin up an insect alive and have it squirm for a day or two and some means of killing them should be devised4 ,most of the soft insects1 such as flies1 butterflies1 etc41 can be killed by pressing their body1 in the region of the wings1 between one's thumb and forefinger4 ,such forms as beetles and wasps can be quickly killed by dropping them into coal oil or a strong soap suds4 ,any method which can be devised for quickly killing the insect1 and which will not seriously mutilate it1 can be used4 ,a convenient killing bottle can be made by sealing a few small lumps of the deadly poison1 potassium or sodium cyanide1 in the bottom of a strong1 wide-mouthed bottle1 with plaster of ,paris2 or a few drops of chloroform or ether on a wad of cotton in a similar bottle1 will also serve as a convenient killing jar4 ,pinning and ,preserving a ,collection ,illustration3 ,method of pinning different kinds of insects4 ,after the insects1 have been caught and killed1 they should then be prepared for the permanent collection4 ,most insects such as wasps1 beetles1 flies and grasshoppers should simply have a pin thrust through their bodies until they are two-thirds the way up on the pin and then put them away in a box4 ,such forms as butterflies and moths make a much better collection if the wings are spread so as to bring out their gaudy markings4 ,in order to spread butterflies' wings1 one needs a spreading board1 which can be made in ten minutes by taking a pine board two feet long1 and six inches wide and on this nail two strips an inch thick1 so that there is a crack between them4 ,the crack should be half an inch wide at one end and a quarter of an inch wide at the other end1 and in the bottom of it press strips of cornstalk pith so as to have something soft in which to stick the pins4 ,after a pin has been stuck through the body of a dead butterfly between the wings1 it is then pinned in the crack so that the back of the butterfly is on a level with the strips4 ,then the wings are drawn forward until they stand straight out from the body when they are pinned down by means of strips of paper and left to dry a few days until they become perfectly rigid4 ,in this way a most beautiful collection can be made very easily1 but where time and materials are not available1 simply pin them up like other insects1 leaving the wings to hang as they will4 ,after the specimens are pinned they should be put away in cigar boxes in the bottom of which is pinned or pasted a layer of cork or corrugated paper similar to that which comes between glass fruit cans4 ,these make ideal cases for keeping small collections as the odor of tobacco helps keep pests from getting in to destroy the collection4 ,illustration3 ,home-made spreading board for spreading butterflies and moths4 ,illustration3 ,cigar box with strip of corrugated paper in bottom used as case for keeping pinned insects4 ,rearing and ,observing ,them ,while ,alive ,while studying an insect it is advisable wherever possible to first study it where it is found in the field and later bring it home and keep it alive in a jar where it can be fed and observed and its various habits studied4 ,cages for breeding insects consist simply of a few glass fruit cans and jelly glasses with tin or cloth covers4 ,a child can borrow one or two of these from his mother's fruit cellar4 ,a layer of moist sand or soil should be put in the bottom of the jar to provide a retreat for those forms which go into the ground before changing to adults4 ,before an insect is placed in one of these breeding cages its food plant should be determined by observations in the field1 and every day or two a fresh supply should be gathered4 ,most of the forms discussed in the following chapters can be kept in jars and reared to the adult stage4 ,rearing insects is both interesting and instructive4 ,every child should be given an opportunity to rear a few forms either during the school year or during the summer vacation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i happened one night in my travels ,to stray into ,butterfly ,vale1 ,where my wondering eyes beheld butterflies ,,with ,,wings ,,that ,,were ,,wide ,,as ,a ,,sail4 ,they lived in such houses of grandeur1 ,their days were successions of joys1 ,and the very last fad these butterflies had ,,was ,,making ,,collections ,,of ,,boys4 ,there were boys of all sizes and ages ,,pinned ,,up ,,on ,,their ,,walls4 ,when ,i said ',twas a terrible sight to see boys in that plight1 ,i was answered3 ',,oh1 ,,well ,,they ,,are ,,dead4 ,,we ,,catch ,,them ,,alive1 ,,but ,,we ,,kill ,,them1 ,,with ,,ether--,a ,,very ,,nice ,,way3 ,just look at this fellow--his hair is so yellow1 ,and his eyes such a beautiful gray4 ',then there is a droll little darky1 ,as black as the clay at our feet2 ,he sets off that blond that is pinned just beyond ,in a way most artistic and neat4 ,and now let me show you the latest1-- ,a specimen really select1 ,a boy with a head that is carroty-red ,and a face that is funnily specked4 ',we cannot decide where to place him2 ,those spots bar him out of each class2 ,we think him a treasure to study at leisure ,and analyze under a glass4' ,i seemed to grow cold as ,i listened ,to the words that these butterflies spoke2 ,with fear overcome1 ,i was speechless and dumb1 ,and then with a start1--,i awoke6 --,,ella ,,wheeler ,,wilcox4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,grasshopper ,the grasshopper or locust is one of the most ancient plagues of cultivated crops4 ,from the earliest time they have destroyed crops4 ,during ,moses' sojourn in ,egypt they were so destructive as to cause severe famine and various other references to their destructive work are to be found in the early writings4 ,since those early days1 just think of the crops that have disappeared between the greedy jaws of grasshoppers6 ,in our own country it has not been many years since the sun was darkened for days by clouds of grasshoppers as they settled down from the ,rocky ,mountains upon the growing crops in the neighboring states4 ,one day a field might have a promising crop and by the next day it might be left as bare as a dry stubble field in ,august4 ,those days of great destruction in ,america have largely passed but each year the active jaws of hoppers devour a handsome fortune4 ,illustration3 ,common differential locust or grasshopper2 a1 egg nests underground2 b1 young nymph2 c1 d1 older nymphs2 e1 adult grasshopper2 f1 nymph feeding on grass4 ,this shows development with incomplete metamorphosis4 ,in the same order with the grasshoppers come the crickets1 katydids1 rear-horses1 devil's darning-needles or walking-sticks1 and cockroaches4 ,the grasshoppers are most troublesome1 however4 ,they deposit eggs in the ground and in other protected places4 ,in the spring these hatch into young hoppers scarcely larger than a pin head at first4 ,throughout the early summer these small fellows feed and increase in size4 ,they burst their old skins and crawl out of them a number of times as they grow larger4 ,toward fall they become full grown with four strong wings and very powerful hind legs for jumping4 ,in this condition most of the common grasshoppers will be found in the fall when the rural schools open4 ,,field ,,studies ,the small so-called red-legged grasshopper is always most abundant in the fall and for this reason we have selected it for our studies4 ,it is about an inch long1 olive-brown in color with the ends of the hind legs bright red4 ,it is found everywhere in pastures1 meadows and along country roads4 ,approach one of them in the field and see what happens4 ,how does it get away8 ,when disturbed1 how far does it go8 ,does it hide in the grass when you try to catch it8 ,observe one that has not been disturbed4 ,where do you find it2 on the ground or on plants8 ,how does it move about when not scared8 ,watch carefully and see what plants it feeds on4 ,how does it go about it8 ,what do you find feeding on grasshoppers8 ,how does a turkey catch them8 ,have you ever seen a dull colored fly1 which inhabits dry paths and which flies with a humming sound like a bee1 feeding on grasshoppers8 ,these are called robber-flies or spider-hawks and they destroy thousands of grasshoppers4 ,,breeding ,,cage ,,observations ,after you have learned all you can about the habits of the grasshopper in the field1 catch a few of them and take them home and put them in a glass fruit jar4 ,collect green leaves for them and watch them feed4 ,watch their method of feeding closely and see how it differs from that of a horse or a cow4 ,how do they move about in the jar8 ,which legs are used in walking8 ,what do they do with the jumping legs while walking8 ,do they use their wings at all while in the jar8 ,watch them wash their face and feet after feeding4 ,give them leaves of different plants1 especially of field and garden crops and determine which they like best4 ,can you find any plant which they will not eat8 ,find out how fast they feed and considering the life of any one individual to be #bjj days1 calculate the number of grass blades each individual may eat4 ,are the feelers used while in the jar1 and if so for what purpose8 ,,study ,,of ,,specimen ,take a grasshopper from the jar and examine it carefully4 ,count the number of legs1 wings and joints in the body4 ,how many joints in the legs8 ,examine the tip of the foot for a soft pad and on either side of it a strong hook4 ,what are these used for8 ,what are the sharp spines on the side of the hind-legs for8 ,examine the side of the body and see if you can find the small breathing pores4 ,how do the legs join the body8 ,where are the wings attached8 ,how broad are the wings as compared with the body8 ,how are they folded8 ,are the two pairs of wings alike8 ,which is used most in flying8 ,is the head firmly attached to the body8 ,examine the large eyes2 where are they found8 ,will grasshoppers bite you while handling them8 ,what is the brown juice which escapes from the mouth when disturbed8 ,how long are the feelers as compared with the body8 ,can you tell the males from the females8 ,what is the distinction8 ,do they ever make music8 ,examine for all the foregoing points and write a brief report covering these4 ,make a careful drawing of a grasshopper from one side2 also make an enlarged drawing of the face of a grasshopper and name the parts4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,house ,,fly ,,or ,,typhoid ,,fly ,in the house fly we find one of man's most deadly foes4 ,war can not compare with the campaigns of disease and death waged by this most filthy of all insects4 ,in our recent strife with ,spain we lost a few lives in battle1 but we lost many more in hospitals due to contagious diseases1 in the transmission of which this pest played a most important part4 ,the fly is dangerous on account of its filthy habits4 ,it breeds in filth1 feeds on filth in open closets1 slop-barrels1 on the streets and in back alleys and then comes into the house and wipes this germ-laden filth on our food or on the hands or even in the mouths of helpless babies4 ,who has not seen flies feeding on running sores on animals1 or on spit on sidewalks8 ,these same flies the next minute may be feeding on fruits or other food materials4 ,we rebel when pests destroy our crops or attack our stock1 but here we have a pest which endangers our very lives1 and the lives of those dear to us4 ,if the fly confined itself to filth we could overlook it as it would help to hasten the removal of filth4 ,on the other hand1 if it avoided filth and remained in our home we could not overlook it1 but we could feel safe that it was not apt to do us a great deal of harm4 ,but1 like the ,english sparrow1 one minute it is here and the next somewhere else2 from filth to foods and then back again to filth4 ,in this way it carries disease germs upon its feet and other parts of its body and by coming in contact with food material some of these germs are sure to be left on it and cause trouble later4 ,the fly's method of carrying disease is different from that of the mosquito where the germ is carried inside its body4 ,illustration3 ,house fly2 a1 larva or maggot2 b1 pupa2 c1 adult2 e1 egg4 ,all enlarged4 7,modified from ,howard ,bur4 of ,entomology4 ,u4 ,s4 ,dept4 ,agri47 ,the presence of flies in the home is usually a sign of untidiness2 but it means more1 it means that disease and often death is hovering over the home4 ,we are too apt to consider the fly simply as a nuisance when we should take it more seriously4 ,the child should be led to realize that the fly should not be tolerated in the home1 that it is dangerous and that it can and must be destroyed4 ,the house fly may pass the winter either as the adult fly in cracks and crannies about the home1 or in out-buildings or it may remain as a hard1 brown1 oval pupa in stables and manure piles when1 with the first warm days of spring1 it escape from this case as the fly ready to lay eggs for the first colony4 ,the fly breeds largely in horse manure either in stables1 manure piles or in street gutters where manure is allowed to collect4 ,each female lays a large number of eggs and since it requires less than two weeks for the pest to mature1 we are soon overrun with flies in the summer where steps are not taken to control them4 ,the maggots are often so abundant in stables that they can be scooped out with a shovel4 ,this ceaseless breeding continues from spring until the first frost in the fall4 ,illustration3 ,favorite breeding places of house fly4 ,such places should be kept as clean and neat as the front yard4 ,in the control of the fly and prevention of trouble from it there are three important steps to take4 ,first of all1 go to the source of the trouble and do away with or screen all breeding places4 ,then1 by keeping in mind the fact that the fly is comparatively harmless as long as it is kept from filth laden with germs1 do away with all open closets1 uncovered slop-barrels and other filth4 ,as a further precaution keep it from the home by the use of screens and when necessary swatters4 ,do not make the mistake of trying to control the pest with the swatters alone4 ,in the country too often manure is permitted to accumulate about the barn during the summer with a view of using it on wheat ground in the fall and this furnishes ideal conditions for the fly to breed4 ,another source of constant danger especially in the rural districts is the presence of open closets or worse still the presence of no closet at all4 ,this is without doubt the most dangerous accessory of the farm4 ,more screens should be used in the home and greater care in keeping them closed4 ,illustration3 ,an open closet to which the house fly has free access4 ,such a closet is the most dangerous accessory of any home4 ,,study ,,of ,,the ,,fly ,,and ,,its ,,work ,observe first of all the feeding habits of the fly4 ,what foods in the home is it most fond of8 ,make a list of all the food materials it is found to feed on4 ,where and on what is it found feeding out doors8 ,do you find it feeding on filth and if so1 on what8 ,do you find it about the barn8 ,where is it usually found in the barn8 ,how can the fly carry filth to food materials8 ,in studying the breeding of the fly determine where it lays its eggs and where the maggots are found4 ,examine fresh manure in the stable and see if you can find small white maggots about half an inch long and as large around as the lead in a pencil4 ,if you do1 place some of them with some fresh manure in a glass jar and see what becomes of them4 ,in a few days the maggots will disappear and in their places small oval1 brown bean-like objects will appear4 ,a few days later these will crack open at one end and the fly will crawl out4 ,keep records of the length of time it requires for the pest to pass from one stage to the other4 ,if maggots cannot be gotten put some fresh manure in the jar and catch a number of live house flies and put them in with the manure and watch for results4 ,collect a jar of fresh manure with maggots and sift over it a little powdered borax and see what happens to the maggots4 ,where horse manure can not be properly disposed of1 cheap borax is used to throw over piles of manure to destroy the maggots and prevent the flies from breeding in it4 ,write a brief description of the different stages and make careful drawings of these4 ,do not mistake the house fly for other flies often found on food in the home4 ,collect a few flies and put them in a bottle and drop in with them just a few crumbs of sugar and watch them feed4 ,they cannot chew but a little saliva from the mouth dissolves a little of the sugar which is then lapped up as syrup4 ,notice what a peculiar sucker they have for drawing up liquids4 ,how can they crawl along in the bottle with their backs toward the floor8 ,examine the tip of their feet for a small glue pad which sticks to the glass4 ,these glue pads and the sucker are well fitted for carrying filth4 ,examine the fly carefully and write a brief description of it4 ,what color is it8 ,how many legs8 ,how many wings8 ,are these transparent8 ,behind the wings there is a pair of small stubs which is all that is left of the hind pair of wings4 ,are the eyes large8 ,can you find a pair of small feelers8 ,why can you not pick up a fly like you would a grasshopper8 ,is their eye sight good8 ,why are they always most abundant on a kitchen screen door8 ,can they smell8 ,what are the fly's worst enemies8 ,will the toad eat them8 ,do chickens eat them8 ,have you ever seen chickens scratching in manure and feeding on the fly maggots8 ,put a few drops of formaldehyde1 which you can get from a druggist1 in a few spoonfuls of sweet milk or sugar syrup and let the flies eat it and see what happens to them4 ,this is one of our best poison baits for flies which get in the home or collect about the dairy4 ,formaldehyde is a poison and when used in bait it must be kept out of reach of children4 ,just about frost1 in the fall1 watch for the appearance of inactive flies on walls1 windows and other parts of the house4 ,these have been attacked by a parasitic disease4 ,these are often found sticking to walls and other objects about the room in the winter1 and are commonly thought to be passing the winter4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the insect we now call the 'house fly' should in the future be termed the 'typhoid fly1' in order to call direct attention to the danger of allowing it to continue to breed unchecked4 --,l4 ,o4 ,,howard4 ,,chapter ,v ,,the ,,mosquito ,here we have another small insect which1 like the house fly1 is extremely dangerous1 due to its ability to carry the germs of disease4 ,there are hundreds of species of mosquitoes1 some small1 some large4 ,the majority of these are unable to carry disease so far as we know at present1 but they should be avoided as dangerous4 ,the ,missouri forms which carry disease are the so-called malarial fever mosquitoes1 and they are entirely responsible for the transmission of this sapping and often fatal disease4 ,in the warm countries these are more abundant and the fever is more fatal4 ,in the south there is still another disease-carrying mosquito1 the yellow fever mosquito4 ,this form is most dangerous of all4 ,the mosquito first bites a patient suffering with malaria and in this way it takes in germs along with the blood which it sucks from the patient4 ,after these germs pass through stages of development in the body of the mosquito they are ready to be injected back into a healthy person where1 in due time1 they cause the disease4 ,the germs feed inside the red blood corpuscles and at regular intervals they destroy a large number of these causing a chill which is followed by fever and a new supply of corpuscles is produced4 ,this alternation of chill and fever may continue all summer1 if medicine is not taken to destroy the germs4 ,quinine will kill the germs if it is taken so that plenty of it is in the blood when the germs come out of the torn down corpuscles during a chill4 ,in order to prevent malarial fever1 get rid of the mosquitoes by draining and oiling the breeding places1 escape their bites by screening houses1 smudging and destroying the adults1 and keep the mosquitoes from patients who have the fever4 ,this is almost as important as the destruction of the mosquitoes4 ,the malarial fever mosquitoes are as harmless as our common forms so long as they do not become infected with germs by sucking blood from a fever patient4 ,illustration3 ,mosquitoes in position for biting2 a1 common ,culex mosquito2 b1 malarial fever mosquito4 ,note that the one stands parallel1 while the other stands at an angle to the surface on which it rests4 ,in view of the fact that most of our common mosquitoes are classed as non-dangerous1 it is of interest to know just how to distinguish the harmless ones from the dangerous4 ,the adults of the two forms can be easily distinguished when they are seen at rest4 ,the common forms always rest with the body parallel to the surface on which they rest1 while the malarial form always elevates the end of the body so that the head is pointed toward the surface on which it rests4 ,in like manner the wigglers can be distinguished from each other4 ,our common wigglers always hang head downward in the water while those of the malarial mosquitoes rest near the surface of the water with their bodies parallel to it4 ,the majority of the wigglers found in rain barrels are of our common forms4 ,illustration3 ,common ,culex mosquito showing stages of development2 a1 raft of eggs2 b1 larvae or wigglers of different sizes2 c1 pupa2 d1 mosquito4 ,the large wiggler and the pupa are taking air from the surface of the water through their breathing tubes4 ,the life of the mosquito is quite interesting and is an excellent example of an insect which lives in the water part of its life and in the air the rest4 ,the mature female mosquito1 which does all the biting1 searches for water in rain barrels1 cans1 ditches1 ponds1 and stagnant swamps where she lays her eggs either in raft-shaped packets or singly4 ,when the wigglers hatch they swim about in the water and feed upon decaying material and microscopic water plants4 ,when the wiggler is full grown it changes to an active pupa which has a large head and a slender tail and is more or less coiled4 ,a little later the winged mosquito escapes4 ,in the rural districts most of the mosquitoes breed in stagnant ponds1 swamps and rain barrels and from these they fly to the home where they cause trouble4 ,such places should be drained or protected with oil or other means to prevent the mosquito from using them for breeding purposes4 ,ponds can be freed of the wigglers by introducing fish or by using a small amount of coal oil on the surface4 ,the wigglers have a breathing tube which is thrust out above the water when fresh air is needed and if there is a thin film of oil on the water this is prevented4 ,rain barrels can be freed of the pest in this way also1 or perhaps better by covering them with a cloth4 ,the mosquitoes are most troublesome about the home at night4 ,when one sits out doors he should keep a smudge going to drive them away while screens will keep them out of the house at night4 ,,observations ,,and ,,study ,collect all the different kinds of mosquitoes you can find and note difference in size and markings4 ,do you find the malarial fever mosquito in your region8 ,is malarial fever common during the summer and fall8 ,are there any old stagnant ponds or swamps near your home8 ,if so1 examine these for wigglers4 ,examine rain barrels for small raft-shaped packets of eggs4 ,these resemble small flakes of soot and are difficult to pick up between your fingers4 ,take a stick and lift them from the water and examine them4 ,one packet may contain a hundred or more eggs4 ,put a few of these packets in a tumbler of rain water and watch for the wigglers4 ,at first they will be very small but they grow fast4 ,watch them come to the surface to breathe4 ,the tip of the tail is projected above the water and air is taken in at two small breathing pores or spiracles4 ,examine rain barrels for the larger wigglers4 ,what do they live on in the rain barrel8 ,what do they do when you jar the barrel8 ,do you find any of the rounded pupae in the barrel8 ,they are active the same as the wigglers4 ,if you find pupae1 put some in a tumbler of water1 cover it with cloth or a lid and watch for the mosquitoes to appear4 ,after collecting several mosquitoes examine them for number of wings1 legs and markings and see if all have the slender sucking tube4 ,the males have large feathery feelers1 but no sucking tube4 ,write a brief description of the wiggler and the mosquito1 their breeding places and means of destroying them4 ,make drawings of the different stages1 wiggler1 pupa and mosquito4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,the ,,cabbage ,,miller ,and here and yonder a flaky butterfly ,was doubting in the air4 --,,mcdonald4 ,with the first approach of spring comes swarms of large green flies which bask in the ,march sun on the south sides of buildings4 ,they are not with us long1 however1 until we notice flashes of white quickly moving about from one early weed to another4 ,these are the advance guards of the cabbage millers or butterflies4 ,all through the cold winter they remained in the chrysalis stage stuck to the sides of houses1 fence posts and in other protected places1 awaiting the first breath of spring4 ,the first adults to emerge find no cabbage on which to lay their eggs so they are compelled to use other plants such as pepper grass4 ,illustration3 ,egg of cabbage miller much enlarged4 ,the eggs are very small and are usually placed on the lower edge of the leaf4 ,these hatch and the small green worms appear4 ,throughout the summer there are a number of broods produced and an enormous amount of damage is done4 ,just before frost the last caterpillars search for protected places where they pass to the pupal or resting stage for the winter4 ,no cocoon is spun by this caterpillar4 ,where measures are not taken to control the cabbage worms they destroy much of the cabbage crop each season4 ,the white butterflies can be seen any day during the summer visiting cabbage1 mustard1 radishes and other similar plants4 ,by destroying all of the worms and millers in the early spring one has less trouble later4 ,this can be done by hand picking1 or where the patch is large by spraying with a poison solution to which soap is added to keep the solution from rolling off in large drops4 ,poison can be used until the heads are well formed1 but if the first worms in the spring are destroyed1 later spraying is unnecessary though an occasional handpicking will help4 ,,observations ,,and ,,study ,illustration3 ,cabbage worm feeding1 slightly enlarged4 ,go into the garden and examine the cabbage for small green worms which vary from one fourth to a little over an inch in length4 ,what is the nature of their work on the leaf8 ,where do they feed most1 on the outer or inner leaves8 ,do they eat the entire leaf8 ,how does the work of the young worms differ from that of the larger ones8 ,do they spin silk8 ,are they on the top or under side of the leaf8 ,examine under the dead and dried leaves at the ground and see if you can find small1 hard1 gray objects which have sharp angles and which are tied to the leaf with a cord of silk4 ,what are these objects8 ,watch the miller as she visits the cabbage and see if you can find the small eggs which she lays on the under side of the leaves4 ,when she visits a cabbage plant she bends her body up under the outer leaves and stops but a moment1 fluttering all the while as she sticks the small egg to the leaf4 ,it is about the size of a small crumb of bread4 ,what does the miller feed on8 ,does she visit flowers8 ,if so1 what flowers8 ,illustration3 ,pupa or chrysalis of cabbage miller4 ,,breeding ,,work ,collect a few of the worms and put them in a glass jar with a piece of cabbage leaf4 ,examine them carefully and watch them crawl4 ,how many legs do they have8 ,where are they placed on the body8 ,how can they use so many legs while crawling8 ,how many joints are there to the body8 ,note the short fine hair all over the body which gives it the appearance of green velvet4 ,what color is the head8 ,how does the caterpillar feed8 ,write a brief description of the worm4 ,do not mistake it for the cabbage span-worm which is also green1 but which walks by humping up its back4 ,illustration3 ,cabbage miller on red clover blossom4 ,keep the cabbage worms in the jar for a few days and watch them disappear4 ,after they have disappeared1 what is left in the jar8 ,these are the chrysalids or pupae of the insect and later from them will come the millers4 ,take one of the pupae in your hand and see if it can move4 ,if it is in the summer the miller will appear in a week1 but if it is in the late fall it will simply pass the winter in the pupa stage4 ,watch the miller escape from the pupal case and describe it4 ,examine the miller carefully and describe briefly the number of legs1 wings1 segments of body1 sucking tube and color markings4 ,make careful drawings of the caterpillar1 chrysalis and butterfly4 ,what gives the color to the wings8 ,rub the wings between your fingers and see if the color comes off4 ,the wings are covered with very small scales of different colors which combine to give the beautiful markings4 ,the wings of all butterflies and moths are covered with scales and hairs in this way4 ,in this insect we find both chewing and sucking mouth parts4 ,the caterpillar chews while the parent butterfly has a long tube for sucking up nectar from flowers and water from puddles in the road4 99 99 99 99 99 ,far out at sea--the sun was high1 ,while veered the wind and flapped the sail2 ,we saw a snow-white butterfly ,dancing before the fitful gale ,far out at sea4 ,the little wanderer1 who had lost ,his way1 of danger nothing knew2 ,settled a while upon the mast2 ,then fluttered o'er the waters blue ,far out at sea4 ,above1 there gleamed the boundless sky2 ,beneath1 the boundless ocean sheen2 ,between them danced the butterfly1 ,the spirit-life of this vast scene1 ,far out at sea4 ,the tiny soul that soared away1 ,seeking the clouds on fragile wings1 ,lured by the brighter1 purer ray ,which hope's ecstatic morning brings-- ,far out at sea4 ,away he sped1 with shimmering glee1 ,scarce seen1 now lost1 yet onward borne6 ,night comes with wind and rain1 and he ,no more will dance before the morn1 ,far out at sea4 ,he dies1 unlike his mates1 ,i ween ,perhaps not sooner or worse crossed2 ,and he hath felt and known and seen ,a larger life and hope1 though lost ,far out at sea4 --,r4 ,h4 ,,horne4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,the ,,apple ,,worm ,illustration3 ,apple worms in core of apple4 ,usually only one worm appears in an apple4 ,note the decaying of the apple4 ,this is perhaps the most destructive insect pest attacking the apple4 ,every year1 that we have a good apple crop1 there are thousands of bushels of wormy apples which are practically worthless4 ,this means an actual loss of thousands of dollars a year to the apple growers of this country4 ,for this reason alone each child should come to know the life history1 habits and injury of this pest4 ,it is most destructive to the apple though the pear comes in for its share4 ,illustration3 ,the codling moth slightly enlarged4 7,from ,slingerland74 ,every country child and many of those of the cities1 are familiar with this worm for they often bite into it while eating apples4 ,the small worms crawl down in the blossom end of the young developing apple and from there bore into the pulp and eventually reach the core of the fruit4 ,they stay in the apple about six weeks when they eat a hole out to the surface and crawl down to the trunk where loose bark offers a hiding place4 ,here they spin their cocoons and change to a small1 brown1 plump pupa and after a few days the winged moth emerges4 ,the moth is very small and is not often found by one not acquainted with it4 ,they come out during late ,june and early ,july when they lay eggs for a second colony of worms which again enter the fruit and destroy more of it4 ,these worms of the second brood are usually mature and leave the fruit about the time apples are picked in the fall in central ,missouri4 ,they escape and soon spin cocoons in which they pass the winter4 ,early in the spring these change to pupae and later the moths come out4 ,they appear about the time apples bloom in the spring and lay the eggs for the first worms which enter in great numbers at the blossom end4 ,this in short1 is the life story of the pest through the year4 ,little can be done to destroy the pest after it gets into the fruit1 therefore remedies must be applied to destroy the worm before it gets into the fruit4 ,all orchards should be sprayed with a poison in the spring before the worms appear4 ,since most of them enter by way of the blossom end1 it is necessary that the poison be put into the blossom end4 ,to do this spray at once after the blossoms fall1 repeat after two weeks and spray again in ,july to kill the second brood of worms4 ,the protection of woodpeckers and sapsuckers will also help as they feed on the worms under the bark4 ,illustration3 ,apple blossoms at about the right stage for receiving the first and most important arsenical spray for the control of the apple worm4 ,,observations ,,and ,,breeding ,,work ,go into the orchard and examine for apples with masses of sawdust-like material projecting from the sides or blossom end4 ,by removing this brown deposit which is the excrement of the worm1 you will find a hole leading into the apple4 ,cut open one of these and determine the course of the tunnel4 ,where do you find the worm8 ,do all such apples contain worms8 ,where have they gone8 ,how does the feeding of the worms injure the fruit8 ,do any of the wormy apples show rot8 ,are any of the windfalls in the orchard wormy and if so what proportion8 ,remove a worm from one of the apples and examine it4 ,how many legs has it8 ,what color is it and does it have hair upon its body8 ,can it crawl fast8 ,does it spin silk8 ,put a number of the large worms in a jar and examine from day to day and keep records of what happens4 ,collect a number in the fall and keep them in a box outdoors during the winter4 ,in the spring watch them change to the pupa in the cocoon and a little later the mature insect or codling moth1 as it is commonly called1 will emerge4 ,describe the moth and pin a number of them for your collection4 ,what time in the spring do the caterpillars change to the pupa and when do the moths emerge8 ,if you keep the moths in a bottle they will lay their small circular flat eggs where they can be seen by looking closely4 ,during the winter examine under the bark of apple trees and in cracks and crevices about apple pens for the small silk cocoons containing the worms4 ,examine in the same places in the spring about apple blooming time and then in place of the small pink worms you will find the small brown pupae4 ,keep these a few days and the moths will appear4 ,what proportion of apples in your region are wormy8 ,what are they used for8 ,are the trees sprayed just after the blossoms fall to control the pest8 ,where spraying is carefully done1 are there as many wormy apples8 ,why not spray all the orchards properly and have no worms8 ,draw and describe the different stages of the apple worm or codling moth and its injury to fruit4 99 99 99 99 99 ,o1 yet we trust that somehow good ,will be the final goal of ill1 ,to pangs of nature1 sins of will1 ,defects of doubt and taints of blood2 ,that nothing walks with aimless feet2 ,that not one life shall be destroyed1 ,or cast as rubbish to the void1 ,when ,god hath made the pile complete2 ,that not a worm is cloven in vain1 ,that not a moth with vain desire1 ,is shrivelled in a fruitless fire1 ,or but subserves another's gain4 --,,tennyson4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,the ,,tomato ,,or ,,tobacco ,,worm ,illustration3 ,egg of ,tomato worm moth enlarged4 ,this insect is often very destructive to tomatoes and tobacco4 ,most country boys and girls know it and fear its ugly looking horn4 ,when full grown it is four inches long1 usually dark green with a number of slanting white lines along either side4 ,it is so near the color of the plants that it is difficult to see it4 ,illustration3 ,young tomato worm4 ,during the summer months the worms are common1 being most abundant in ,august4 ,in the fall the mature worms go into the ground and change from the worm to a large1 oval1 brown pupa with a jug-handle-like appendage on the under side4 ,these are often turned up when the garden is plowed in the spring4 ,after tomato plants are well started the large greyish humming-bird-like moths comes from the ground and begin laying eggs4 ,the moth expands from four to six inches and is often seen at dusk visiting the blossoms of jimson weed and other large tube flowers4 ,they are also found around lights at night4 ,where they are troublesome the plants should either be sprayed with a poison when the injury is first noticed or else the worms should be picked off and destroyed4 ,there is a small parasitic wasp which is very helpful in destroying this caterpillar4 ,they live inside the worm and when mature bore out through the skin on the sides and back where they spin small white egg-like cocoons from which later the small wasps emerge4 ,often a hundred or more may come out of one worm4 ,,study ,,and ,,observation ,observe the worms where they are at work on tomatoes4 ,disturb them and hear them grind their jaws together4 ,do they eat the foliage rapidly8 ,dust a little ,paris green on the foliage where a worm is eating and see what happens in half an hour4 ,collect a number of the worms in a glass fruit can and give them tomato leaves to eat and watch them grow4 ,how many segments are there to the body8 ,how many of the segments have small black spots on either side8 ,these are holes through which the worm breathes4 ,is the horn at the end of the body stiff enough to stick into your hand8 ,this is thought to be a sting but it is only an ornament and is entirely harmless4 ,when full grown they will burrow into the sand in the jar and change to the pupa4 ,illustration3 ,full-fed tomato worm slightly reduced4 ,illustration3 ,chrysalis or pupa of tomato worm4 ,note the jug-handle-like sheaths enclosing the proboscis4 ,examine the brown pupa carefully and see if it can move4 ,what is the peculiar structure on the under side of the body8 ,the moth which comes from this in the spring is very large4 ,it is covered with white and black scales and hairs which give it a mottled appearance4 ,examine on the under side of the head for a peculiar structure like a watch spring4 ,this is the sucking tube used in drawing up nectar from deep tubular blossoms4 ,when the moths are sipping nectar from jimson weed blossoms they can be killed by pouring a little poison down into the blossoms4 ,illustration3 ,tomato worm moth natural size4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,the ,,firefly ,this insect is of little economic importance to us at present but its peculiar habit of producing light makes it a very striking form and one which deserves study4 ,the firefly is a beetle1 and begins to make its appearance the latter part of ,june when the darkest nights may be one solid glow of fire4 ,they live largely in damp places and bottoms at night are specked with their tiny flashes of light4 ,the larval or grub stage is passed on the ground beneath grass1 weeds and rubbish where they often prey upon other insects4 ,in some cases the grubs may be able to produce light though as a rule the luminous grub-like creature or glow-worm is a wingless adult firefly4 ,,observations ,,and ,,studies ,watch for the first appearance of the fireflies in the evening and see where they come from4 ,do they all appear at once or only a few at first8 ,do they fly fast8 ,how often is the light produced8 ,will they produce the light while on the ground8 ,when they fly do they stay near the ground or high in the air8 ,do they light in trees8 ,illustration3 ,firefly beetles on sour-dock leaf4 ,catch one of the fireflies in your hat and examine it carefully4 ,how large is it8 ,describe briefly its size1 shape and color4 ,are its wing covers hard like other beetles8 ,where is the light produced8 ,what color is the light8 ,is it bright8 ,hold the firefly on the opposite side of a sheet of paper and see if the light will show through4 ,try the same with your hat1 coat sleeve and other objects4 ,this light is extremely penetrating and unlike the light of a lamp is produced with the generation of very little heat4 ,will it continue to flash while you hold it8 ,are the segments from which the light comes the same color as the other segments of the body8 ,crush the tip of the body between your thumb and finger and see if the light continues to appear4 ,how long does it last8 ,collect a number of the fireflies and put them in a bottle and see if the light is strong enough to enable you to read4 ,the firefly has proven to us that our methods of producing light are extremely wasteful since much of the energy is lost in heat and it is possible that through the lesson of the firefly we may some day be able to produce better light at less expense4 ,illustration3 ,lower surface of firefly beetle enlarged to show the light producing segments of the abdomen4 ,,chapter ,x ,,the ,,white ,,grub ,,or ,,june-,,bug ,illustration3 ,white grub feeding on roots of corn plant1 enlarged4 ,this insect is more familiar to country children in the grub stage4 ,every one who has followed a plow in rich sod land has seen these fat1 white coiled grubs roll down into the furrow when the plow turns them up4 ,they are in the ground feeding on the roots of plants4 ,often all the roots of grass in lawns and meadows are eaten off and the sod dies and can be rolled up like strips of carpet4 ,this insect breeds largely in sod and when this is plowed under and other crops are planted the grubs may injure them severely4 ,corn1 wheat1 oats and truck crops are severely injured4 ,in some cases the grubs may feed for three years before they change to the pupa and later to the adult beetle4 ,to control this pest1 plow in the fall and rotate crops1 so that sod will not remain on the same land too long4 ,illustration3 ,june beetle showing stages of development4 ,the larva or grub worm is feeding on roots under ground2 the pupa and adult are shown above ground4 ,the beetles come from the ground or may be plowed out in ,may and ,june and are commonly spoken of as ,may-beetles or ,june-bugs4 ,they are usually of a yellowish-brown color and are often troublesome coming into the house at night where they buzz about the light1 bumping into everything until they finally drop heavily to the floor4 ,all country boys and girls know these beetles4 ,,observations ,,and ,,studies ,collect a number of the grubs from the ground and examine them for legs1 eyes and mouth4 ,how many legs have they8 ,can you find eyes8 ,what use would they have for eyes while in the ground8 ,do they bite8 ,place them on the table and see how they move4 ,what color are they8 ,do you find spines or hair on their bodies8 ,pull up a little grass by the roots and put it in a jelly tumbler with soil and put some of the grubs in with it4 ,water it so as to keep it growing and follow the development of the grubs4 ,collect some of the beetles and put them in a bottle and watch them crawl about4 ,where are their wings8 ,how can they get them out when they want to fly8 ,how many legs have they8 ,examine the tip of the feet for hooks4 ,what are these used for8 ,can they chew leaves8 ,where are their eyes8 ,do you find feelers and if so where8 ,write a short description of the grub and the beetle and make careful drawings of them4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,the ,,colorado ,,potato ,,beetle ,this is one of the worst pests of the potato4 ,as the name would imply it came originally from ,colorado but is common now all over the country4 ,the full grown insect is short and thick with a hard shell1 striped with yellow and black4 ,the grubs1 on the other hand1 are soft and red or orange with black spots4 ,both the grubs and the beetles feed on potatoes and often completely strip them of their leaves4 ,since they feed on foliage they can be very quickly destroyed by dusting or spraying the plants with a poison such as ,paris green or arsenate of lead4 ,the patches of yellow or reddish eggs are found mostly on the under side of the potato leaves4 ,when the fat grubs are full-fed they go into the ground and change to pupae and later to the striped beetles4 ,this pest should not be mistaken for the so-called old-fashioned potato beetles which are long and slender and either bluish grey in color or striped with yellow and black4 ,these are blister beetles and are entirely different4 ,,observations ,,and ,,studies ,watch for the first appearance of the adult beetles in the spring when the potatoes are just beginning to come up4 ,they pass the winter under ground and in the spring come out ready to lay eggs on the young potatoes4 ,collect and examine the adults4 ,how many stripes have they8 ,collect packets of eggs and count them4 ,how many eggs in most packets8 ,how are they attached to the leaf8 ,how large are the grubs when they hatch from the egg8 ,examine the grubs where they are feeding on potatoes4 ,do they eat holes through the leaf1 or do they eat away the entire leaf8 ,how fast do they grow8 ,collect a few in a glass tumbler4 ,feed them and watch them grow4 ,what do they do when you touch them8 ,what does the hard backed beetle do when it is touched8 ,collect some of the large grubs with tightly stuffed bodies and put them in a jar with dirt or sand and see where they go4 ,after a week dig them out and see what they look like4 ,illustration3 ,the ,colorado potato beetle showing stages of development and work on a potato plant4 ,note the small patch of eggs and different sized grub on the plant and the grub1 pupa and adult at side4 ,write a short description of the eggs1 grubs and beetle1 its work and means of killing it when it is feeding on potatoes4 ,make careful drawings of a cluster of eggs1 the grub and the beetle4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,the ,,lady-,,beetle ,hurt no living thing3 ,ladybird1 nor butterfly1 ,nor moth with dusty wing1 ,nor cricket chirping cheerily1 ,nor grasshopper so light of leap1 ,nor dancing gnat1 nor beetle fat1 ,nor harmless worms that creep4 --,,christina ,,rossetti4 ,the lady-beetles comprise one family of small beetles1 which is famous for the number of beneficial forms it includes4 ,with but two exceptions the ,american forms feed upon other insects1 in most cases pests such as plant-lice and scale insects4 ,from the time they hatch from the egg until they pupate and again after the beetle stage is reached they are regular tigers after plant-lice4 ,they catch and hold their prey between the front feet while they devour it bodily4 ,the larva of the lady-beetle has an astonishing capacity for in one day it will eat several times its own weight of plant-lice4 ,farmers and fruit growers could hardly get along without the help of these small beetles and yet unfortunately thousands are often destroyed by those who do not know of their beneficial work4 ,illustration3 ,the spotted lady-beetle2 a1 larva2 b1 pupa2 c1 adult2 enlarged4 7,after ,chittenden1 ,u4 ,s4 ,dept4 ,agri47 ,the lady-beetles1 or lady-birds as they are often called1 are fairly uniform in shape and color4 ,they are oval or round in outline with the back rounded or elevated and the underside flat4 ,in color they are usually either orange or yellow1 checkered or blotched with black or black with yellow or bright orange markings4 ,they closely resemble small tortoises4 ,unfortunately several plant feeding beetles are similar in shape and color which casts reflections on the lady-beetles4 ,illustration3 ,the convergent lady-beetle2 a1 adult2 b1 pupa2 c1 larva2 all enlarged4 7,after ,chittenden1 ,u4 ,s4 ,dept4 ,agri47 ,the grub of the lady-beetle is usually black or dull colored with red or yellow markings which make it very conspicuous4 ,it runs about over foliage and is broad in front and tapers to a point behind4 ,when the grub is full fed it attaches the top of its body to a leaf1 twig or other object and pupates4 ,in the pupal stage it is often protected with spines and is able to lift the front end of the body up and down when disturbed1 producing a light tapping sound4 ,the lady-beetle usually hides in rubbish about the base of trees or in some cases even enter homes for the winter months1 coming out with the spring to deposit small masses of oval yellow or orange eggs on plants infested with lice4 ,they breed rapidly and with the help of parasites and other beneficial insects usually control the plant-lice pests4 ,,observations ,,and ,,studies ,examine about fruit trees1 shade trees1 truck crops and in wheat fields for the brightly marked beetles4 ,watch them move about the plant in search of food4 ,can they fly8 ,do you find them eating the leaves8 ,do you find any green lice near them8 ,see if they feed on these lice4 ,examine also for the soft bodied1 tiger-like grubs4 ,do they eat the lice8 ,do they travel fast8 ,have they wings8 ,see if you can find any of the pupae attached to limbs or twigs and if so1 tickle them with a straw or a pencil and see them bow4 ,keep a record of the different trees and plants on which you find lady-beetles4 ,collect several of the beetles and the grubs and keep them in a bottle or jelly glass4 ,leave them without food for a day and then give them some green plant-lice and watch them devour the lice4 ,how many lice can one eat in a day8 ,how do they go about devouring a louse8 ,do they simply suck out the blood1 or is the louse completely devoured8 ,supposing that for each apple tree in ,missouri there are one hundred lady-beetles and that each beetle devours fifteen lice in a day1 does it not seem worth while protecting them and encouraging such work8 ,a little time spent in acquainting one's self with the good work of such forms as these will help greatly in the fight on our insect foes4 ,make drawings of and describe briefly the different stages of the lady-beetles4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,the ,,dragon-,,fly ,what child is there that is not familiar with the insect commonly known as the dragon-fly1 snake doctor or snake feeder8 ,every lover of the stream or pond has seen these miniature aeroplanes darting now here1 now there but ever retracing their airy flight along the water's edge or dipping in a sudden nose dive to skim its very surface4 ,at times it is seen to rest lazily1 wings out-stretched1 perched on some projecting reed or other object4 ,but when approached how suddenly it takes off and is out of reach4 ,the dragon-fly is an almost perfect model of the modern monoplane4 ,its two long wings on either side are the planes1 its head the nose1 its thorax the fuselage and its long projecting abdomen the tail or rudder4 ,on wing the dragon-fly is one of the swiftest and most powerful insects4 ,the dragon-flies are found all over the world being most abundant in the warmer regions where rainfall and bodies of water are abundant4 ,for breeding they require water1 their immature stages living under water feeding on aquatic animal life4 ,our present order of dragon-flies is the remains of an ancient race of insects of immense size4 ,from fossil remains we learn that ancient dragon-flies had a wing expanse of three feet4 ,illustration3 ,cast off skin of dragon-fly nymph1 showing shape and position taken on a twig when the adult winged form emerged from the last nymph stage4 ,the dragon-fly is a beneficial insect thruout life4 ,the young feed on mosquito wigglers and similar life in ponds and streams while the adults dart here and there over ponds1 fields or lawn catching mosquitoes and other winged insects4 ,many look upon the dragon-fly as a dangerous stinging insect but it is entirely harmless and can be handled without the least danger4 ,they vary greatly in size and appearance4 ,the so-called damsel-flies form a group of dragon-flies or ,odonata which rest with the wings in a vertical position and the young aquatic stages are more slender4 ,in color markings dragon-flies include all hues of the rainbow tho as a rule they do not have such extravagant colors as the butterflies4 ,illustration3 ,one of our common dragon-flies found about ponds and streams4 ,,observations ,,and ,,field ,,studies ,go into the fields and study and collect the different kinds of dragon-flies and their young stages from the bottoms of ponds4 ,how swiftly can they fly8 ,do they fly high in the air as well as near the water or surface of the earth8 ,can you see them catch other insects8 ,do birds catch them and eat them8 ,take a position along the edge of a pond and as they come flying by swing swiftly with your net and catch one4 ,examine it carefully4 ,note the strength of the long1 slender wings with their lace-like network of veins4 ,measure the distance across the back from tip to tip of wings4 ,compare this with the length from tip of head to the tip of the abdomen4 ,examine the head with its large compound eyes and the chewing mouth parts4 ,note the strong thorax which is filled with muscles to operate the wings in flight4 ,how many segments are there to the abdomen8 ,with the hands or with a bucket dip up a quantity of mud and trash from the bottom of a pond and pile it on the bank4 ,as the water soaks away watch for signs of life in the mass4 ,if you find a few small creatures1 say half an inch long with large head and eyes1 broad body and with six rather long legs they are probably the nymph stages of dragon-flies4 ,wash the mud off of them so that you can examine them carefully4 ,with a straw probe in the mouth and you will find that the lower lip is a long elbowed structure which can be suddenly thrown out in front of it and with a pair of pincher-like prongs at the tip it can catch and hold its prey4 ,some forms keep their bodies covered with mud so that they can slowly creep up close to their prey4 ,collect several nymphs and keep them in a jar of water and study their movements and feeding habits4 ,disturb one with a pencil or straw and see how it darts forward4 ,it has a water chamber in the large intestines1 including also the respiratory tracheal gills1 from which the water can be suddenly squirted which throws the insect forward4 ,the escaping stream of water forces the insect forward on the same principle as the rotating lawn sprinkler4 ,if you collect some almost mature nymphs and keep them for a time in a vessel of water you may see them crawl out of the water1 shed their skin and change to winged adults4 ,collect a few adults of different species for pinning in your permanent collection4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,the ,,squash ,,bug ,this common blackish or earth-colored bug is usually called the squash stink-bug4 ,it has a very disagreeable odor which gives it this name4 ,when disturbed it throws off from scent glands a small quantity of an oily substance which produces this odor4 ,this is a protection to it for few birds or animals care to feed on it4 ,most species of sap or blood sucking true bugs have a similar protecting odor4 ,the squash bug feeds largely on squash and pumpkins4 ,it has a slender beak with needle-like mouth parts which are stuck into the plant for extracting the sap4 ,it feeds only on plant sap4 ,when it can not get squash or pumpkins it will feed on watermelons1 muskmelons and related crops4 ,it is very destructive to these crops4 ,it not only extracts sap thus weakening the plant but it also seems to poison the plant while feeding4 ,in this way its bite injures the plant something like the effects of the bed-bug's bite on our flesh4 ,it feeds first on the leaves and vines often killing them in a few days4 ,later it may cluster and feed on the unripe squashes or pumpkins in such numbers as to completely cover them4 ,every country boy or girl has seen these stinking bugs on pumpkins in the corn field1 at corn cutting time in the fall4 ,illustration3 ,pumpkin in field covered with adults and nymphs of squash stink-bug4 ,the squash bug lives thru the winter as the matured winged insect4 ,it flies from its food plant to winter quarters late in the fall4 ,for winter protection it may enter buildings1 hide under shingles on roofs1 crawl into piles of lumber1 under bark of dead trees or stumps or hide under any similar protection4 ,when its chosen food crops begin to come up in the spring it leaves its winter home and flies in search of food4 ,after feeding for a time the female lays patches of oval1 flattened1 gold-colored eggs set on edge4 ,when first deposited the eggs have a pale color but in a short time the golden color appears4 ,in some cases only three or four eggs may be found in one patch while again there may be twenty or thirty of them4 ,they are so brightly colored that they can easily be seen and most boys and girls have seen them on the leaves of squashes or pumpkins4 ,illustration3 ,cluster of golden-brown eggs of squash stink-bug showing two recently hatched nymphs4 ,in a few days after they are laid they hatch and out of each crawls a small1 long-legged blackish or greenish young bug called the nymph4 ,these little fellows usually stay in a crowd hiding on the under side of a leaf4 ,after feeding for a time their leaf begins to turn yellow and soon dies4 ,then they move to a new leaf4 ,as they feed they grow rapidly and after shedding their skins they change to the second nymph stage4 ,this shedding of their skins or molting occurs five times before they mature4 ,of course each time before the old skin or suit of clothes is discarded a new one is developed beneath4 ,the females may continue to deposit eggs for later clusters of young4 ,they become most abundant on the crop late in the fall4 ,just before cold weather sets in the adults again seek winter shelter4 ,this is a very difficult insect to control4 ,since it feeds on liquid sap only it is impossible to kill it by spraying the crop with a poison such as arsenate of lead4 ,it can not chew and swallow such poison4 ,the young can be killed fairly well with a spray or dust containing nicotine but such treatments are not effective against the adults or nearly mature nymphs4 ,a better method is to destroy all the bugs possible in the fall before they go to the winter protection and then watch for and destroy the adults and the eggs masses in the spring when they appear on the young crop4 ,if the first adults and the eggs and newly hatched nymphs are destroyed the crop can be protected against the destructive work later4 ,,observations ,,and ,,field ,,studies ,plant a few squash hills in the garden in the spring and also plant a few seeds in rich dirt in discarded tin cans or flower pots4 ,as the spring advances and the squashes start to vine watch for squash bugs on them4 ,examine in piles of lumber1 stove wood and under bark for some of the bugs before they come to the squash hills4 ,if any are found put them on the squash plants in flower pots and cover them with a pint mason fruit jar4 ,watch for eggs to appear on the plants and also examine for eggs on the squashes in the garden4 ,when eggs appear examine them carefully1 measure them and write a brief description of them4 ,try to mash them between your fingers4 ,when they hatch carefully study the young nymph and describe it4 ,can you see the slender beak which incloses the mouth parts8 ,how many joints are there to the antennae8 ,as the nymph grows watch it shed its skin4 ,how does it do it8 ,where does its skin first crack8 ,save the cast skin and try to follow the nymph thru all the nymph stages to the adult4 ,collect a bottle of the nymphs of varying sizes from the garden4 ,examine them and describe the different stages4 ,can you see the wings forming on the backs of the older nymphs8 ,how many small wing pads are there8 ,examine the adult closely and write a careful description of it4 ,can you find where the secretion that causes the odor is produced8 ,how long will the odor stay on your hands8 ,can you wash it off8 ,spread the wings of the adult and make a careful drawing of one front and one hind wing showing accurately the wing veins4 ,in the garden try to protect all the hills of squash from the bugs except one or two used for your studies4 ,write a brief description of your methods of control4 ,illustration3 ,squash stink-bug adult and nymph extracting sap from squash4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,the ,,plant-,,louse ,for this chapter any common species of plant-louse may be used4 ,if the study is made in the spring the louse on rose1 apple1 clover1 wheat or any other crop may be used4 ,if the study is made in the fall the species on turnips1 corn or other plant or crop may be selected4 ,the different species vary greatly but for these studies any available species will be satisfactory4 ,the plant-louse or aphis is a sap-sucking insect which feeds and multiplies rapidly often seriously injuring crops4 ,the loss of sap together with the poisoning effect of the bite causes the weakening of the plant or leaf with its ultimate death if feeding continues4 ,the greatest damage is usually done during cold springs or during a cool rainy period4 ,this prevents the enemies of the louse from increasing and attacking it while the weather may not be too severe to prevent the louse from working4 ,under favorable climatic conditions the natural enemies of the louse as a rule are able to hold it in check4 ,the principal enemies of the louse are certain small insect feeding birds1 lady-beetles1 syrphid-flies1 lace-wings and tiny wasp parasites4 ,the beneficial work of the lady-beetles is discussed in an earlier chapter4 ,the birds and lady-beetles devour them bodily1 the larvae of the lace-wings and syrphid-flies extract their blood while the wasps live as internal parasites4 ,in the latitude of ,missouri the plant-lice as a rule live thru the winter in the form of a fertile egg attached to the twigs of trees and shrubs4 ,the winter egg is produced by a true female plant-louse4 ,as a rule there is only one generation of true males and females produced each year4 ,this brood develops late in the fall to produce the fertilized winter eggs4 ,in the spring these eggs hatch and the tiny nymphs begin to extract sap4 ,on maturing they begin to give birth to young lice4 ,throughout the summer this method of reproduction continues4 ,these summer forms are known as the stem mothers or agamic females4 ,these are not true females for they produce living young in place of eggs and during the summer no male lice are produced at all4 ,this is nature's way of increasing the race of plant-lice rapidly4 ,late in the fall again a brood of true males and females is produced4 ,during the summer the plant-lice increase more rapidly than any other type of insect4 ,illustration3 ,black winter eggs of ,aphis showing how they are deposited in masses on twigs of apple4 7,after ,u4 ,s4 ,dept4 ,agri47 ,plant-lice vary in size1 color and general appearance4 ,many are green while some are red or black or covered with a cottony secretion4 ,,observations ,,and ,,field ,,studies ,plant some melon1 radish or other seeds in fertile soil in pots for use in this study4 ,when lice appear on crops in the garden or field1 collect a leaf with a few on it and carefully transfer them to the leaves on your potted plants4 ,watch the lice feed and increase from day to day4 ,a reading lens or a magnifying glass will be helpful as plant-lice are very small4 ,how do they move about8 ,can you count their legs8 ,how many have they8 ,can you see their eyes and feelers8 ,when feeding observe how the beak is pressed against the leaf4 ,disturb one while it is feeding and see it attempt to loosen its mouth parts4 ,illustration3 ,common apple aphis showing a winged and wingless agamic summer forms at a and c1 one with wing pads formed at b1 and a recently born young at d4 7,after ,u4 ,s4 ,dept4 ,agri47 ,in the garden examine and see if you can find lady-beetles or other parasites attacking the lice4 ,collect some of the enemies of the lice for your collection4 ,make a gallon of tobacco tea by soaking one pound of tobacco stems or waste tobacco in one gallon of water for a day or use one ounce of forty per cent nicotine sulphate in three gallons of soap suds and spray or sprinkle infested bushes or vegetables with it4 ,in an hour examine and see what effect it has had on the plant-lice4 ,nicotine is the most effective chemical for killing plant-lice4 ,do any of the lice develop wings8 ,if so1 how many8 ,wings develop on some of the lice at times when a plant or crop becomes too heavily infested by them4 ,this enables some of the lice to spread to new food plants before old plants are completely destroyed and the colony of lice starved4 ,illustration3 ,wooly apple aphis1 showing how they cluster in masses on limbs and secrete the white1 wooly protection over their bodies4 ,make a careful enlarged drawing of a winged plant-louse and a wingless one showing legs1 feelers1 beak1 honey dew tubes on back and body segmentation4 ,if ants are seen to attend the lice observe them carefully and describe their work4 ,the ants feed on a sweet honey dew excretion discharged by the lice4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,the ,,honey ,,bee ,simple and sweet is their food2 they eat no flesh of the living4 --,,von ,,kuebel4 ,one can hardly believe that this small1 ever busy creature each year gathers many million dollars worth of products for man in this country alone to say nothing of its inestimable value on the farm and especially in the orchard1 where it assists in carrying pollen from blossom to blossom4 ,it is of far greater value to man as a carrier of pollen than it is as a honey gatherer and yet under especially favorable conditions in one year a strong colony may produce between twenty-five and thirty dollars worth of honey4 ,illustration3 ,worker1 queen and drone honey bees2 all about natural size4 7,after ,phillips1 ,u4 ,s4 ,dept4 of ,agri47 ,the general habits of the bee are fairly well known by all4 ,they live in colonies consisting largely of workers1 one female or queen and males or drones4 ,whenever the number of workers becomes sufficiently large to warrant a division of the colony1 a young queen is reared by the workers and just before she matures1 the old queen leaves with about half of the workers to establish a new colony4 ,this division of the colony is called swarming4 ,if a hive1 box or other acceptable home is not provided soon after the swarm comes out and clusters1 it may fly to the woods and establishes itself in a hollow tree where the regular work of honey gathering is continued4 ,this accounts for so many bee-trees in the woods4 ,the bee has been handled by man for ages1 but it readily becomes wild when allowed to escape to the woods4 ,illustration3 ,stages of development of honey bee2 a1 egg2 b1 young grub2 c1 full-fed grub2 d1 pupa2 all enlarged4 7,after ,phillips1 ,u4 ,s4 ,dept4 ,agri47 ,the bee colony offers one of the best examples to show what can be accomplished by united effort where harmony prevails4 ,certain of the workers gather honey1 others are nurses for the queen and young brood in the hive1 others guard the hive and repel intruders1 and others care for the hive by mending breaks and providing new comb as it is needed4 ,each knows its work and goes about it without interfering with the work of others4 ,it is one huge assemblage of individuals under one roof where harmony and industry prevail4 ,throughout the long1 hot summer days the workers are busy from daylight until dark gathering nectar1 while at night they force currents of air thru the hive to evaporate the excess water from the nectar4 ,when flowers are not available near the hive they simply fly until they find them1 be it one1 two or more miles4 ,as long as they are able to gather honey they continue to do so and when they give out they drop in the field and are forgotten1 others rushing to take their place4 ,often when winter is approaching and the store of honey is low the less vigorous ones are cast out from the hive and left to die4 ,if man could learn a few of the lessons which the bee teaches1 he would be a better1 a more useful and a wiser addition to society4 ,,observations ,,and ,,studies ,illustration3 ,two colonies of bees poorly cared for4 ,note box hives1 crowding1 lack of shade1 and high weeds4 ,it is a crime to treat bees this way4 ,go into the fields and study the work of the bee4 ,follow it from flower to flower4 ,see if it visits different kinds of flowers or if it gathers its whole load of honey from one kind4 ,make a list of all the blossoms you find bees visiting4 ,does the bee move slowly from flower to flower8 ,can you see it thrust its tongue into the flower8 ,how long does it stay on one blossom8 ,does it visit red clover8 ,pull a red clover blossom apart and compare the depth of the blossom with the length of the honey bee's tongue1 and determine the reason why it does not visit red clover4 ,the bumble-bee has a much longer tongue so it can get the nectar from red clover blossoms4 ,without the bumble-bee clover seed could not be successfully grown4 ,can you see small balls of yellow pollen on the hind legs of the bee8 ,the pollen is collected from blossoms and is pasted on to the outside of the hind legs in the pollen basket4 ,when the bee returns to the hive1 it stores the small balls of pollen in the cells of the comb for use later in the preparation of bee-bread4 ,when the bee is disturbed in the field does it fly away or will it sting8 ,when it stings does it always lose its sting8 ,what makes the sting of the bee poisonous8 ,examine the wings of bees in the field and note how they are torn from continued work of gathering honey4 ,the older ones often lose so much of their wings1 that they can no longer carry loads of honey4 ,where is the honey carried and how is it placed in the honey cells in the hive8 ,illustration3 ,a strong colony of bees properly housed and shaded4 ,this colony in a very unfavorable season stored about #ej pounds of surplus honey4 ,go now to a hive and study the bees as they go and come4 ,do those returning fly as fast as those which leave8 ,why not8 ,when they return do they come direct to the mouth of the hive8 ,do those which leave fly direct from the hive or circle about first8 ,can you detect guards which move about at the entrance of the hive8 ,what happens when a fly or other insect alights near the opening8 ,will the bees sting when you disturb them about the hive8 ,if possible study the colony inside the hive4 ,to do this you will need smoke to subdue the guards and a veil to protect the face4 ,can you find the queen8 ,is she larger than the workers8 ,examine for honey-comb1 bee-bread1 worker brood1 queen cells and drone cells4 ,if possible study the actions of a colony while swarming4 ,write a brief report of what you can learn of the life1 work and habits of the honey bee4 99 99 99 99 99 ,happy insect1 what can be ,in happiness compared to thee8 ,fed with nourishment divine1 ,the dewy morning's gentle wine6 ,nature waits upon thee still1 ,and thy verdant cup does fill2 ',tis filled wherever thou doest tread ,nature's self thy ,ganymede4 ,thou doest drink and dance and sing1 ,happier than the happiest king6 ,all the fields which thou doest see1 ,all the plants belong to thee1 ,all the summer hours produce1 ,fertile made with early juice1 ,man for thee does sow and plough1 ,farmer he1 and landlord thou4 --,from ,,the ,,greek ,,of ,,anacreon4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,the ,,ant ,the ants are closely related to the bees and are similar to them in many respects4 ,they live in colonies consisting of workers1 drones1 and a queen4 ,the males or drones appear at swarming time and the workers are divided into various castes--warriors1 guards1 nurses1 etc4 ,those families of ants1 however1 which seem to have what approaches real intelligence1 far outstrip the bees in many respects4 ,in some cases ants seem to be able to plan and carry out lines of work very much the same as man does4 ,the various stages of human intelligence or races of men from the savage to the intelligent man are in a way similar to the various races of ants4 ,there are ants which live as hunters1 others which live as shepherds and still others more highly developed which grow crops either in or near the nest as is the case with the fungus growing ants4 ,this striking similarity between the development of ants and man offers ground for much speculation4 ,illustration3 ,ant hill showing activity and stages of development2 a1 egg2 b1 young grub2 c1 pupa2 d1 worker2 e1 queen with wings2 f1 worker carrying young grub2 all enlarged4 ,the ant hill and workers at work much reduced4 ,some ants may be of considerable value to man while others are the source of great annoyance and injury4 ,the tidy housewife usually places the ant in the same category with cockroaches and bed-bugs and the corn growers attribute much of the injury to young corn to the work of the small cornfield ant which acts as a shepherd of the corn root-louse4 ,ants are usually more destructive by protecting and caring for other pests than by attacking the crop direct4 ,every country child is familiar with ants4 ,they are met every day during the summer1 scampering across paths1 tugging at some unfortunate insect1 or sticking to one's tongue when he eats berries4 ,ants are as numerous as the stars in the skies and vary in size4 ,they are found from the tropics to the frozen north1 in deserts1 swamps and in fact1 almost any place where plants or animals live4 ,they do not waste time building or manufacturing a complicated nest like wasps and bees1 so when food is scare1 or for other reasons they need to move they simply pack up and migrate4 ,this1 together with the fact that they feed on almost every imaginable kind of plant and animal material1 accounts in part for the fact that they are the rulers of the insect world4 ,,studies ,,and ,,observations ,it is easy to study the out-door life of ants1 but it is most difficult to follow their activities in the nest4 ,go into the field or out on the school grounds and watch along paths or bare spots for ants4 ,soon red or black fellows will be seen hurrying along after food2 ants are always in a hurry when they are after food4 ,follow them and watch them catch and carry home small insects4 ,if they do not find worms or other small insects1 drop a small caterpillar near one of them and see what happens4 ,can they drag away a caterpillar as large as themselves8 ,some of them may be after honey dew1 fruit juice or other material of this nature and they should be observed collecting it4 ,ants collect about plants or shrubs which are overrun with green lice1 and feed on a sweet liquid which the lice produce4 ,watch them collect the honey dew from the lice4 ,do they injure the lice8 ,can you see the two short tubes on the back of the louse8 ,locate an ant nest or hill4 ,observe the workers carrying out small pellets of earth or gravels4 ,is the earth they bring out the same color as the surface soil8 ,how deep may they go to get it8 ,do they move about as if they were in a hurry8 ,who sends them out with the earth8 ,why do they bring it out8 ,is it dropped as soon as the ant comes out of the hole or is it carried some distance8 ,the small ant found along paths usually makes a small ridge all the way around the entrance4 ,while some of the ants are making the nest1 others are collecting food4 ,watch for some of these and see what they bring4 ,do they stop to eat before going down into the nest8 ,dig into a large ant hill and see what can be found4 ,describe briefly what is found4 ,do you find any small soft grubs and oval cocoons8 ,these are the young ants and they are perfectly helpless and must be fed1 bathed and cared for by the workers or nurses4 ,the workers pick these up between their pinchers and carry them away when the nest is disturbed4 ,do the workers fight to protect the nest8 ,collect some of the workers which are carrying away the young and keep them in a jar with bits of bark and see what they do with the young4 ,describe briefly what you are able to find out about ant life and behavior2 also make drawings of an ant1 the young and a nest4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a pensy ant1 right trig and clean1 ,came ae day whidding o'er the green1 ,where1 to advance her pride1 she saw ,a ,caterpillar1 moving slaw4 ',good ev'n t' ye1 ,mistress ,ant1' said he2 ',how's a' at home8 ,i'm blyth to s' ye6' ,the saucy ant view'd him wi' scorn1 ,nor wad civilities return2 ,but gecking up her head1 quoth she1 ',poor animal6 ,i pity thee2 ,wha scarce can claim to be a creature1 ,but some experiment ,o' ,nature1 ,whase silly shape displeased her eye1 ,and thus unfinished was flung bye4 ,for me1 ,i'm made wi' better grace1 ,wi' active limbs and lively face2 ,and cleverely can move wi' ease ,frae place to place where'er ,i please2 ,can foot a minuet or jig1 ,and snoov't like ony whirly-gig2 ,which gars my jo aft grip my hand1 ,till his heart pitty-pattys1 and-- ,but laigh my qualities ,i bring1 ,to stand up clashing wi' a thing1 ,a creeping thing the like o' thee1 ,not worthy o' a farewell to' ye6' ,the airy ,ant syne turned awa1 ,and left him wi' a proud gaffa4 ,the ,caterpillar was struck dumb1 ,and never answered her a mum3 ,the humble reptile fand some pain1 ,thus to be bantered wi' disdain4 ,but tent neist time the ,ant came by1 ,the worm was grown a ,butterfly2 ,transparent were his wings and fair1 ,which bare him flight'ring through the air4 ,upon a flower he stapt his flight1 ,and thinking on his former slight1 ,thus to the ,ant himself addrest3 ',pray1 ,madam1 will ye please to rest8 ,and notice what ,i now advise3 ,inferiors ne'er too much despise1 ,for fortune may gie sic a turn1 ,to raise aboon ye what ye scorn3 ,for instance1 now ,i spread my wing ,in air1 while you're a creeping thing6' --,,allan ,,ramsay4 ,transcriber's ,note3 ,minor typographical errors have been corrected without note4 ,punctuation has been normalised4 ,dialect1 informal and variant spellings remain as printed4 ,hyphenation discrepancies in the illustration captions have been amended to match the main text4