ORCHARD LIFE. 



167 



some fruit trees about it, and these are sure to be in- 

 fested by some of the insects described in this chap- 

 ter. And the boys and girls that live in cities can 

 find fruit trees with a little effort. 



This chapter is restricted to insects infesting 

 fruit trees. Many other kinds of insects may be 

 found on grass and other herbage about orchards ; 

 some of these are described in the chapter on Road- 

 side Life. 



Under the high-top sweeting, 

 Many a playmate came to share 



The sports of our merry meeting: 

 Zigzag butterflies, many a pair, 

 Doubled and danced in the sunny air ; 

 The yellow wasp was a visitor there ; 

 The cricket chirped from his grassy lair ; 

 Even the squirrel would sometimes dare 

 Look down upon us, with curious stare ; 

 The bees plied fearless their honeyed care 

 Almost beside us, nor seemed aware 

 Of human presence ; and when the glare 

 Of day was done, and the eve was fair, 

 The fireflies glimmered everywhere, 

 Like diamond-sparkles in beauty's hair, 



In the boughs of the high-top sweeting. 

 The humming-bird, with his gem-bright eye, 



Paused there to sip the clover, 

 Or whizzed like a rifle-bullet by ; 

 The katydid, with its rasping dry, 

 Made forever the same reply, 

 Which laughing voices would still deny ; 

 And the beautiful four-winged dragon-fly 

 Darted among us, now low, now high, 

 And we sprang aside with a startled cry, 

 Fearing the fancied savagery 



Of the harmless and playful rover. 



