366 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 



tunately not crushed. He feigned death for a few minutes in true 

 potato beetle style, and then continued his exploring. I put him 

 back on the potato plant and he seems as good as new, but if he 

 doesn't stop this running off I shall resort to the old Spanish plan 

 and put him in chains. 



6:30 p. m. 



The twins are fast asleep. I shook the leaf and touched them 

 but they never moved. This denotes well controlled nervous 

 systems. 



8:55 a. m., July 16. 



The food supply was so low that it demanded immediate atten- 

 tion, so this morning, I walked to Cornell gardens for some pota- 

 toes. These gardens used to be about a mile away, but last night 

 someone moved them away over into New Jersey and I thought I 

 would never get there. 



Some man named Tommy from Cleveland was clearing the 

 ground away from some beets preparatory to making pictures of 

 their roots. I told him about Isabella and he said that without 

 doubt the tortoise-shell had eaten her, for some insects are so 

 savage that they eat each other. Never again shall I install a 

 perfect stranger in the bosom of my family. 

 10:00 a. m. 



I finally got some unsprayed potatoes from a little boy and put 

 the larvae on them, where they are now taking a very hearty 

 meal. 



The little chaps are about the size of a lady-bird beetle and a 

 beautiful red with black legs and heads, and each has a black 

 ring where the thorax and body are joined. 



No doubt they have molted several times but the cast off skins 

 are not visible. 



I have discovered that bug observations should never be taken 

 before or after a full meal. 



5:00 P.M. July 17. 



Columbus and Ferdinand seem to have decided that their chief 

 aim in life is to see how much they can eat. It is surprising how 

 they have riddled the leaves that were put in yesterday. 



They are five days old now and in about ten more days they 

 should pupate. They do this by going down into the ground and 

 making a little cell out of the soil. 



