364 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 



these beetles live as larvae for two weeks. If this wonderful 

 growth continues for that time Columbus will be so large I can 

 saddle him and ride him to class. 



8:00 a. m., July 13. 



There are three young beetles out. I threw the rest of the eggs 

 away for they looked as if they might have hardening of the arter- 

 ies, besides three orphans are enough when the food supply is so 

 far away and so limited. 



11:15 a. m. 



I came home just in time to rescue Columbus from a watery 

 grave. He had fallen to the bottom of the glass and was struggling 

 for life in about seven drops of water. I flew to the rescue with 

 the point of a pencil, but he wouldn't touch it, so I built a wharf 

 with a potato leaf, and he landed in state. 



5:15 p. m. 



The triplets seem to be at a stand still. This would worry me 

 but I have learned that larvae grow very rapidly for a short time, 

 then the chitin in the cuticle hardens and growth is difficult. 

 When the skin becomes very much crowded it splits, the larvae 

 crawl out with a new skin and growth continues rapidly again 

 for a time, then the molting is continued. 



If these larvae have molted their discarded skins are so small 

 that I cannot find them. Some bugs leave skins so large that 

 counting the molts is not difficult. 

 11:00 a. m., July 14. 



The young orphans seem happy and well, but their backs are 

 getting so humped. They need a lesson from Miss Todd in correct 

 posture. 



10:00 p. m. 



These babies are going to be brought up according to scientific 

 rules; no cuddling, no rocking, and no lullabies. With the average 

 child these rules are a flat failure, unless the parents are deaf 

 or lazy or both, but with potato larvae they work like a charm for 

 the three are asleep under a leaf. I have always heard that insects 

 have an economic value, but I never appreciated it before. Since 

 studying the larvae of the three lined potato beetle and the in- 

 terior of a caterpillar my bill for food at the cafeteria has been 

 reduced from $1.20 per day to $.33, and dear knows what a re- 

 duction the interior of the caterpillar will make. 



