lO THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



"and then we want a pair in our collection. The female 

 is always larger and more beautiful in color than the male. 

 Besides, with many butterflies the under side is quite as 

 interesting to examine as the upper. So we catch all we 

 can, and afterwards select the finest specimens to keep." 



The boys stopped to show their specimens to Rose, who 

 was waiting for them in the doorway. All three then went 

 in to dinner. 



In the evening Hal and Tom went over to the school- 

 house, v/here they found Mr. Benedict, the teacher, who 

 was a great favorite with the boys, sitting in one of the 

 recitation-rooms. About twenty boys were gathered near 

 him, and on the table at his side lay several large books 

 and a number of small boxes. The boys were all talking 

 eagerly ; and Frankie Mason, a bright-eyed little fellow of 

 ten, was telling the teacher how hard he had worked all 

 day without catching a single butterfly, when the door 

 opened, and Hal and Tom, with Johnny Webb, came in 

 with their boxes, and laid them on the table, The boys 

 then took their seats, and Mr. Benedict commenced as 

 follows. 



" In the beginning I shall make our study as simple 

 as possible, and leave all the difficult things till we are 

 better able to understand them. We will study the but- 

 terflies by what we can see with the naked eye, because 

 very few of you possess microscopes." 



