212 



dentally spilled on the wooden ridge at the bottom of the teiTariiim 

 outside of the netting. The butterfly was so hungry tliat it could 

 not wait for food more conveniently placed, so it stretched its 

 tonafue out, full leno-th, throuo-h tlie netting:, and in that wav 

 obtained it. The children were surprised to find its tongue some- 

 what longer than its body. 



At tliis time tiie cabbage was removed so tliat tlie eggs and tlie 

 remaining young caterpillars could be observed. The protecting 

 coloring of the eggs and caterpillars was first noticed. One little 

 boy at first announced that tlie caterpillars were green because they 

 were not ripe, a good example surely of the danger of reasoning 

 from analogy ! 



Yery soon the inhabitants of this terrarium world began to 

 increase. A father and two mother grasshoppers and a young one, 

 with his "armor on,'' came to live there ; also a woolly bear, several 

 other species of caterpillars, several species of beetles, a big horse- 

 flv, some ladv-buo:s and cicada. About this time, too, some verv 

 unwelcome immigrants appeared. These were the ichneumon flies. 

 So numerous did they become in a very short time, that they threat- 

 ened desolation to this prosperous community. JN^ature's methods 

 were then scrutized and the services of two tree-toads were sought. 

 Their response was immediate and cordial. Soon not a ichneumon 

 fly could be found. 



The grasshoppers were partial to celery, over-ripe bananas and 

 moisture. Three days after they became inhabitants of this minia- 

 ture world, tlie mother grasshopper dug a hole in the ground and 

 laid ciTH's. The children then had before them living illustrations 



of the three stages of grasshopper life. 

 The tree-toads were both amusing and 

 accommodating, for they, too, liked the 

 wire-netting at the ends of the terra- 

 rium, and delighted the children by 

 climbing up foot over foot, or hand over 

 hand, like odd four-handed sailor boys 

 (Fig. 114). This brought into plain 

 view the tiny suckers on their feet. 

 313 



'ntD 



114.— Hand over hand. 



