THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 45 



At the next class meeting the boys brought a large 

 collection of small butterflies, and Mr. Benedict said he 

 would devote the evening to talking about them. 



" I like the big butterflies best," said little Frank ; " these 

 little things are no prettier than wasps and bees." 



" I think wasps and bees are pretty," said the teacher ; 

 " and perhaps when we have grown tired of butterflies I 

 may tell you something about them. I am sure you would 

 be interested to hear about some of the hanging wasp's 

 nests with neat little cells inside, or the little mud-wasp 

 who fastens his tiny cells to the stems of various plants." 



Frank wanted to hear about these curious things at 

 once, but the teacher said the little butterflies were just 

 as pretty, and he should save the insects for some other 

 time ; so he went on with his lecture. 



" One of the most delicate of all the small butterflies," 

 said he, "is the Polyommatus Pseudargiolus. It is a big 

 name for such a wee little thing," said the teacher, as the 

 boys laughed, "and we will not use it. Such long words 

 do not harmonize with such a pretty little creature. We 

 will call it the Azure-blue butterfly. Its wings expand 

 about one inch, and they are so very delicate that it is 

 almost impossible to capture one without injuring it. 

 Nothing is prettier than to see it fluttering over flowers 



• 



in the sunshine, looking like a tiny speck of bright blue 

 satin. The margin of the wings is of a blackish tint 



