284 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [12:6-Sept., 1916 



observation. (2) The pupa and chrysalis, obs. 8, 9, 10, p. 318. 

 (3) The butterfly, obs. 1, 2, 3, p. 319. 



An experiment should be made, attempting to feed the cater- 

 pillar on the leaves of some other species of plant than the one on 

 which it was found. This experiment should not be carried too 

 far because these caterpillars like all others will die of starvation 

 rather than to take a bite out of a strange leaf. 



While studying a butterfly in all its stages, the class should study 

 the life history of some moth. It is best to get the fall web- 

 worms or perhaps a cecropia or promethea caterpillar or some 

 species of woolly bear. The observations of the two insects may 

 be carried along the same lines. The vital point of the lesson be- 

 ing, that the caterpillar of a moth always weaves about itself a 

 silken cocoon before it changes to a helpless pupa; but the butter- 

 fly caterpillar never weaves a cocoon, but hangs itself up and molts, 

 and hangs there in its "bare naked" pupa skin, until the winged 

 insect bursts it open. 



References: Everyday Butterflies, Scudder, p. 158; Moths and 

 Butterflies, Dickerson; How to Know the Butterflies, Comstock; 

 Moths and Butterflies, Ballard. 



Cobwebs — A study of the cobwebs which the housewife tears 

 down with her broom will lead to a respect for their builders. The 

 lines are criss-crossed so as to entangle the blundering fly, and the 

 lines that hold the web to the wall are fastened firmly. No other 

 creature except man makes such delicate tapestries, or is such a 

 clever engineer in building nets of silken ropes, as the spider. 



Spiders are shy creatures and by no means dangerous. The 

 bite of any of our common spiders is no more painful than that of 

 the mosquito. However, the spider has such a soft body that it 

 is much better caught in a box or vial than in the hand, if we wish 

 to examine it more closely. The thoughts to be brought out are : 

 the wonderful webs made of silk, the story of how the silk is spun, 

 and the marvelous patience of the spider, after its web is made, in 

 waiting for some unwary insect to come along and furnish it with 

 dinner. Spiders are called blood-thirsty, but almost anyone would 

 act that way if he had to wait a day or two or a week or two for 

 something to eat, as is often the case with spiders. For studying 

 cobwebs use obs. 1, 2, 3, 4, p. 476. The study of the general an- 

 atomy of the spider should be left for older pupils. 



